Harmful and Inadequate Supervision Post-Pandemic: Complexities and Considerations

The COVID-19 pandemic altered the nature and scope of clinical training and supervision in profound ways Soheilian et al. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 17, 167–175, (2023). Supervisors and supervisees were forced to adapt to online platforms for supervision and psychotherapy essentially overnight and often without training. Faced with myriad stressors and constraints, clinical supervisors have struggled to support trainees and protect clients. Through the illustrative case of Sandra, a clinical supervisor at a University Counseling Center and Training Director for the predoctoral intern cohort, this paper details the process by which these stressors and constraints understandably led to Sandra’s burnout and gave rise to inadequate and harmful supervision. The clinical challenges and considerations reflected in Sandra’s situation are discussed with particular emphasis on the importance of developing and maintaining clinical supervision competencies.