The Impact of COVID-19 on Clinical Supervision and Practice

COVID-19 made dramatic changes in how we approach therapy. Before the pandemic, as a whole, therapists were tentative to accept innovations like telehealth sessions and digital tools as supports. The therapeutic alliance is the most powerful force in counseling… How can it possibly duplicate that bond? The same assumptions were made about clinical supervision. But virtual supervision has improved access for many supervisees along with providing new challenges, too.

You will learn to:

• Discuss the benefits of virtual supervision and how the pandemic has changed the dynamic between supervisors and supervisees.

• Analyze the ethical issues unique to virtual care and how online therapy situations might affect clinical decision-making.

• Consider the long-term effects of the pandemic on therapy and clinical supervision, including the adoption of technology and what these changes might mean for the future.

Panelists Angela Banks, M.Ed, LPCC-S, and Jaclyn D. Satchel, LCSW-S, PMH-C sit down with Dr. Carla Smith to highlight many of the changes ignited by the pandemic both in as a means of dealing with the restrictions imposed upon people and as a long-term answer to some of the barriers that have prevented many from getting the help they needed.

With the pandemic emergency, not only did virtual therapy become essential, but virtual clinical supervision became a viable option for many who faced significant challenges before in finding a clinical supervisor and attending sessions.

This course will explore the benefits and challenges that go along with the new era of digital behavioral healthcare and how to address them in virtual clinical supervision.