Picking a supervisor is one of those decisions that’s easy to rush — especially if you’re up against a renewal deadline — but it’s worth slowing down for. You’ll be bringing this person your hardest cases and your own doubts about your practice. Here’s what’s worth checking before you commit.
Start with credentials
At minimum, check that a prospective supervisor is registered with a recognised body — for ACA members, that means ACA College of Supervisors membership; PACFA has its own supervisor register. Beyond the base qualification, it’s fair to ask about their specific experience: how long they’ve been supervising, what modalities they work in, and whether they have experience with your client group or setting.
Look past the qualification, to the fit
A 2026 thematic analysis of Australian clinical supervisors, published in the Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia, found that some of the most common friction points in supervision aren’t about competence — they’re about fit and clarity. The study identified recurring issues including power dynamics between supervisor and supervisee, unclear boundaries between personal disclosure and professional supervision, and inconsistent contracting, where supervisees assumed they already knew what to expect and supervisors assumed the same.
That research points to some genuinely useful questions to ask before you sign on with anyone:
- What does a typical session look like, and how will we structure our time?
- What’s in your supervision contract — fees, cancellation policy, confidentiality, and what happens if either of us wants to end the arrangement?
- How do you balance being supportive with your obligation to flag concerns about my practice?
- What’s your approach if we disagree about a clinical decision?
Consider the practical fit too
- Format — individual, group, or a mix, and whether that suits how you like to process your work.
- Delivery — face-to-face, online via Zoom or Teams, and what’s realistic given your location and schedule.
- Availability — how quickly you can usually get a session booked, particularly if something urgent comes up.
- Whether they offer anything beyond clinical case discussion — for instance, support with the business side of running a private practice, if that’s relevant to where you’re at.
It’s OK to trial it
Most supervisors, me included, treat the first session as a two-way conversation — you’re assessing fit just as much as they are. If it isn’t working after a genuine attempt, it’s entirely reasonable to raise that directly and, if needed, move on. Your professional association isn’t going to penalise you for changing supervisors when the relationship isn’t serving your practice.
Getting started
If you’re comparing supervisors and want to talk through whether STEP-UP supervision would suit you, get in touch — I review every enquiry personally, and there’s no obligation to commit until we’ve had that conversation.
You can contact me here, or fill in the supervision enquiry form below.