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Supervision

Here you will have access to information about my credentials, approach to supervision, and some logistics of supervision. Please feel free to ask questions at any time as I am happy to answer them. For a downloadable version, please scroll to the bottom. 

Degrees and Credentials

Bachelor of Science in Psychology – Regis University (2007)
  * Certificate in Practical Psychology (2007)
  * Certificate in Psychology of Violence (2007)
Master of Arts in Counseling – Regis University (2012)
  * Post Graduate Certificate Counseling Children and Adolescents (2013)
National Certified Counselor (NCC) – NBCC # 311488 (2013)
Licensed Professional Counselor (CO) – LPC.0013409 (2016)
Registered Play Therapist – T3658 (2018)

Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) – # #100064470

     (2020)

Licensed Mental Health Counselor (FL) – LMHC # 22763 (2024)

Additional Education and Training

PREpARE Disaster response training (2024)

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (2017)
DC 0-5 (2017)
Ph.D in Counselor Education and Supervision with a specialty in trauma and crisis – in
    progress
CAC II classes completed:
  * Principles of Addiction Treatment
  * Pharmacology I
  * Pharmacology II
  * Motivational Interviewing
  * Group Counseling Skills

Trauma Specific Trainings

Family Play Therapy: Adlerian Style with Terry Kottman, PhD, LMHC, Registered
    Play Therapist-Supervisor™ (2024)

Playing at School: School-Based Play Therapy for Groups with Ann L. Tilman, Ed.D.,
    School Based-Registered Play Therapist (2024)

Post-Traumatic Play in Children: What Play Therapists Should Know - Eliana Gil (2020)

Healing the Wounded Child: EMDR Therapy with Children and Adolescents with
    Dissociation (2017)
The Body Keeps The Score: Trauma Healing (2017)
Workshop: Stress, Trauma and the Body: An Introduction to Somatic Trauma Therapy The Love and Trauma Center, Denver (2010)

Supervision Trainings

Clinical Supervision - Walden University (2024)

2 Day Intensive Course: Clinical Supervision: Providing Effective Supervision, Navigating
    Ethical Issues and Managing Risk (2021)

Play Therapy Supervision with Experienced Therapists (2018) – Instructor: Lynn Louise
    Wonders, LPC, RPT-S, CPCS  (2018)

Play Therapy Supervision with New Therapists and Interns – Instructor: Lynn Louise
    Wonders, LPC, RPT-S, CPCS  (2018)

Ethical Considerations in Play Therapy Supervision Instructor: Lynn Louise Wonders,   
    LPC, RPT-S, CPCS (2018)

Clinical Experience

Living Harmony Counseling – private practice since 2013: Individual, Family and Play
    therapy as well as clinical supervision of practitioners seeking licensure in Colorado.
    Began in person, now virtual.

Mental Health Liaison – Lake County schools since March 2023 – Mental health
    assistance in an elementary school in Florida

Brightside Counseling – group counseling since 2019: Individual, Family and Play
    therapy as well as clinical supervision of practitioners seeking licensure in Colorado.
    Began in person, now virtual.

Creative Counseling Center – Individual, Family and Play therapy as well as clinical
    supervision of practitioners seeking licensure in Colorado. 2017-2019

AllHealth – Community Mental Health – Individual, Family and Play therapy. Pre-school
    mental health advisor.

Arapahoe House – Individual and Family therapy working with inpatient clients
    struggling with addiction.

Approach to Supervision

Supervision is a place to explore both how we are impacted by clients, but also how we impact clients. It is important to me that I provide a non-judgmental space for supervisees to explore what is going right in therapy as well as what might be a challenge. To do this, it is important for both the supervisor and the supervisee to approach supervision in a professional capacity, and to come prepared.

In supervision I utilize a combination of two different supervision models. The first supervision model is Humanistic-Relationship Oriented Supervision. According to Bernard and Goodyear (2019) supervision focuses on helping supervisees build their knowledge of tools for therapy as well as encourage the exploration of self within the session. I believe both factors are critical in developing competence as a therapist. The second model is the Discrimination model which allows a supervisor to move between the roles of teacher, counselor, and consultant. These three roles allow for the development of the supervisee over time in both personal and professional growth (Bernard & Goodyear, 2019).

Supervision Capacity

As I am currently living in Florida and supervising therapists-in-training in Colorado, I will provide weekly or bi-weekly supervision sessions in a virtual format through my private practice, Living Harmony Counseling, LLC. As I am not able to provide on-site supervision, we will work together to create a plan to ensure that the supervisee has access to someone closer-at-hand should that be necessary. I can provide supervision to Licensed Professional Counselor Candidates who need 100 hours of supervision to become licensed.

Supervision Process

Supervision is a process meant to help prepare the supervisee to increase both competence and cultural sensitivity. As supervision begins it will be important to build our relationship so that we can establish trust that goes both ways. In the same way that therapist and client are impacted by each other, so are supervisor and supervisee. As a supervisee, it is important to bring your experiences as a new therapist to supervision. It will be important to identify goals that you set for yourself and your clients, as well as acknowledge accomplishments along the way.

According to Bernard & Goodyear (2019), a Humanistic-Relationship oriented supervisor encourages not only their skills as a therapist, but also a supervisee's "self-exploration and use of self as a change agent". In supervision, we may identify areas where personal growth is needed, and this can be uncomfortable. I recommend strongly engaging in your own therapy as a parallel process to supervision, as becoming a therapist can often trigger our own experiences.

A very important aspect of this process is to respect that our time is limited, and to respect the time that we have together (Bernard and Goodyear (2019). The flow to supervision is influenced by how we both approach that hour, including the level of preparation that both supervisor and supervisee put into that session.

Multicultural Competence

Multicultural competence is a critical facet of therapy and supervision. As therapists we must always be working to grow our level of competence in this area. Clients come to us from different ethnic, racial, religious, spiritual, sexual and ability backgrounds. It is our job to confront our own bias, and as a supervisor it is my job to not only confront my own bias, but to help you explore the bias that may interfere with therapeutic relationships.

            When possible, I incorporate diversity into my supervision by recommending literature developed by cultures other than my own. This may include articles, books, as well as digital videos. This literature allows for exposure to those who have different strengths and challenges that may open our eyes to our own bias.

Supervisee Expectations

  1. Respect the supervisor’s time by arriving on time and prepared to engage in supervision

  2. Be willing to engage in an open and honest relationship with the supervisor

  3. Be willing to explore how you experience yourself in supervision, as well as how you experience your client.

  4. Complete documentation of therapy sessions in a timely and professional manner

  5. At least one therapy session each quarter is required to be recorded to view together

  6. Do not knowingly withhold clinical information that might allow the supervisor to provide the most accurate feedback and guidance

  7. Be open to communicate in an honest and authentic manner

  8. Notify clients that supervisee engages in regular supervision with a licensed supervisor

Supervisor Expectations

  1. Respect the supervisee’s time by arriving on time and prepared to do supervision

  2. Be willing to engage in an open and honest relationship with the supervisee

  3. Engage in continuing education to remain competent and relevant

  4. Promote growth in the supervisee by a willingness to deliver feedback

  5. To evaluate supervisee skills and challenges

  6. Act as a gatekeeper for the counseling profession to protect clients from harm

  7. Provide a HIPAA compliant digital format for supervision

Supervisee Rights

  1. Consistent supervision

  2. Growth-oriented supervision

  3. Supervisee privacy

  4. Theoretically sound supervision

  5. Transparent evaluation process

  6. Competent supervisor

​

Evaluation Process

Evaluation is an on-going process and may happen in different ways. One method of evaluation is to watch a recorded session to explore supervisee within the scope of the session. This is done by utilizing a secure recording method and watching it together on a HIPAA compliant platform. Many supervisees experience anxiety regarding this process so feel free to bring that to the supervision session so that we can build confidence in this process

Another method of evaluation is the amount of client turnover. Although it is anticipated that there will be a certain amount of client attrition, client retention is an important aspect of being a therapist, as it may reflect the ability to build strong relationships within the session.

According to Bernard and Goodyear (2019), a third avenue of evaluation is seeking client input. As the client is the one most impacted by the supervisee, it may be helpful for the supervisor to explore the client’s experience of the therapist for full evaluation.

Remediation Process

Remediation Process

Remediation may be necessary when a therapist is not meeting the competencies necessary for graduation or licensure. According to Rodzinka et al. (2020), remediation needs to be individualized, collaborative, and behaviorally oriented. If a point is reached where remediation is necessary, we will work together when possible to identify what the challenge may be, and the solution to the challenge. I will do my best to understand what the barriers might be, and to work with you to find solutions to those barriers when possible. As suggested by Rodzinka et al. (2020) the steps will include:

  1. Identify the competency of concern

  2. Problem behavior

  3. Expectations for acceptable performance

  4. Supervisee’s responsibilities/actions

  5. Supervisor’s responsibilities/actions

  6. Timeframe for acceptable performance

  7. Assessment methods

  8. Dates of evaluation and updates to plan

  9. Consequences for unsuccessful remediation

Confidentiality

As the supervisor, it is my responsibility to maintain confidentiality by providing a HIPAA compliant digital platform for supervision. Supervision allows for the disclosure of client information (Bernard & Goodyear, 2019), however the supervisee must remember that this information must be kept confidential in all other ways. All information shared with the supervisor in the context of clinical supervision is held in strict confidence with the following exceptions:

  1. If the supervisee exhibits signs of impairment

  2. If the supervisee exhibits behaviors that are unethical and/or dangerous to the client

  3. If I, as a supervisor, am court ordered to testify about the nature of a supervision relationship or of a client of the supervisee

  4. If a client’s welfare is in danger and it is deemed the supervisee is unable to assist the client adequately

  5. If a child, elderly person, or dependent person is being abused

  6. If I, as a supervisor, seek supervision from another licensed mental health professional

Emergency Contact Information

I respond fastest via phone call or text to (303)589-4674. I also respond quickly to email at melanie.mcclung@gmail.com. If contacting me by text or email, do not put the full name of a client in the information being sent.

Fee for Supervision and Payment

  1. Individual supervision sessions last for 60 minutes and are $120/session

  2. Group supervision sessions last for 90 minutes and are $50/session

Professional Development

As a therapist-in-training, it is expected that the supervisee will continue to build on their understanding of therapy while in supervision. I may suggest specific sources including articles, books, and trainings, that will support your journey as you become a therapist.

Grounds for Termination of Supervision

As a gatekeeper for the counseling profession, it is my job to ensure that only those who are building their competence, and acting in an ethically appropriate manner, continue into the field of counseling. According to the ACA Code of Ethics (2014) the supervisory relationship can be terminated by either party with adequate notice. They recommend working toward resolving differences before termination is considered.  

Supervision may be terminated for the following reasons:

  1. Unethical behavior in the role of therapist

  2. Improper keeping of records that might violate client confidentiality

  3. Lack of attendance and/or engagement in the supervision relationship

  4. Lack of timely record-keeping

  5. Inability to resolve differences within the supervisory relationship

*****MANDATORY REPORTING*****

We are mandatory reporters. As this is a topic that is often difficult to navigate, I request that you contact me if you are wondering if a report is appropriate. I also appreciate notification if you have had to make a report about a client.

Code of Ethics

As a supervisor and as a counselor, I adhere to the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics, as well as the Association for Play Therapy (APT) Code of Ethics and the National Board of Certified Counselor (NBCC) Code of Ethics. You are responsible for following the Code of Ethics applicable to your credentialing body.

Complaint

To file a complaint with the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies please go to the following link:

https://apps2.colorado.gov/dora/licensing/activities/complaint.aspx

You can also mail in a complaint to:

Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies
Division of Professions and Occupations
1560 Broadway,Suite 1350
Denver, CO 80202

References

​

American Counseling Association. (2014). 2014 ACA Code of Ethics  

           https://www.counseling.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/ethics/2014-aca-code-of-ethics.pdf

Bernard, J.M., & Goodyear, R.K. (2019). Fundamentals of clinical supervision, 6th ed.
          Pearson.

Department of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Professions and Organizations.

           https://dpo.colorado.gov/FileComplaint/Docs

Attached is a downloadable form of the disclosure statement. 

Call 

303.589.4674

Email 

livingharmonycounseling@gmail.com

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