LPC-Associate Supervision-North Dallas

The path to a successful internship for the next generation of Counselors!

Are you in the market for a reputable supervisor? It feels like supervisors come a dime a dozen and right now, you may not know what to ask or if the supervisor-candidate(s) really have your best interests at heart. What you do know is that you must find a supervisor before you can get a job and begin acquiring the 3000 hours needed to become fully licensed.

A while ago, I met Kathleen Mills and Phillip Crum of PracticeMentors.us and I am now associated with their counselor education efforts.  Practice Mentors includes "The Academy" teaching counseling supervisors in all facets of running a private practice so we become better mentors to you!

I am always interviewing potential associates and I would love to chat with you about your needs.

Keep in mind, there are two groups of supervisors you may encounter:

  1. Those primarily in it to give back and mentor the next generations' professional aspirations, and...

  2. Those in it for the money.

If your plans include finding the cheapest possible mentor (supervisor) who won’t give you all of the tools you need to be successful then you need to stop right now and look elsewhere. I belong firmly in the first group, as does anyone I might recommend to you.

Finding Supervisors To Interview

There is no public list of outstanding supervisors available. There is only one list that the state provides and it’s an excel spreadsheet with just names and counties so you would have to do quite a bit of leg work to sort through that list. You need a handful of top supervisor candidates who are accepting new associates in your area OR will know other top-tier supervisor candidates that are. Whether you decide to work with me or not, my gift to you will be a directory of very qualified supervisor candidates.

Don't Settle For The First Supervisor You Interview

You spend so many years learning about the counseling field and you think that is the most important part of it all but finding the best supervisor will by far be the best investment into your career that you can make. My recommendation to you would be to interview several recommended supervisor candidates. Pick the one who offers the best curriculum for your future, one you feel comfortable working with and can pay him/her their fee. Now is not the time to pinch pennies; we are talking about your career and your financial earning power for the rest of your life! This is a huge decision.

Supervisors are not obligated to do what we do. We choose to do this for the next generation because we want to and we sacrifice a lot of things and put ourselves at legal risk to do so. So the decision that we both make will change your entire life to put you on a path to success.

How To Interview With The Supervisor-Candidates

These are two-way interviews. You are looking to see if they would make a good mentor for you on both professional and personal levels, and they are looking for "the consummate student". If we choose to work together, here is some of what you would learn with me:

What it means to be a Counselor:

  • Basics of internship-a Proper Framework

  • The fundamentals of Professionalism

  • Overcoming stigmas about our profession

  • Clinical training/supervision

Finding a job:

  • How to construct your story

  • How to properly market yourself

  • How to find a job

  • The art of the interview

Opening a practice:

  • Business plans/Models

  • Malpractice/Liability Insurance Coverages

Federal law and compliance:

  • HIPPA Compliance

State law and compliance:

  • BHEC and your state boards

  • The Texas LPC/LMFT/SW rules: Interpret and understand

  • Chapter 611: Release of Records

  • The complaint process

  • Family law issues

Interview Your Supervisor Candidate With This Checklist

I suggest you hop on over to PracticeMentors.us, subscribe, then download this list that has been put together for you to use as your personal interview checklist when interviewing your supervisor candidate.

On Being Interviewed

Our relationship should be beneficial for both of us and there are certain character traits that make a great student. Here are three things I look for and require in/from my students and associates:

  • Accountability-Able to make self-corrections along the way

  • Ambition-Must be self-motivated & a go-getter

  • Resourcefulness-Willing to learn about the real world of the counseling profession

In addition to the character attributes listed above, it is always best to present yourself as having already thoughtfully and thoroughly considered the important questions about your interests and your future. Review the list of questions in the previous link and craft your responses but do NOT try to memorize them.

It should go without saying – you need to display good appointment etiquette; clean up and look professional; show up a few minutes early; bring something to write with and something to write on; display a good, firm handshake; and always make good eye contact. Decline food and drink if offered.

On Working With Me

Should we end up working together, our immediate task will be to prepare you to find a job that suits your needs. I will be hands-on to help you do that and from there we’ll continue to prepare you for your career through training and other methods. You will receive a practice mentor binder that is designed to help you keep everything you learn during our time together, organized and ready for future use.

Here's The List Of Supervisors I Recommend

If you will click the wall of excellence link you'll be shown a list of supervisors that have completed various levels of education with practice mentors. There's more detail on that page but each supervisor represented has a link directly to a page on their website specifically addressed to you! If you encounter any issues or have any questions, please feel free to shoot Phillip an email at:  pcrum@practicementors.us and he will respond. Good luck!

What’s Next

Before you begin your search for your perfect supervisor, ponder these questions:

  • What do I want to accomplish? (Be Specific)

  • What does it look like? (Be Specific)

  • What am I willing to do to get where I say I want to go? (Be Specific)

If you have any questions give me a call at 949-274-7731 or complete the interest form below. If you choose to email me directly, please allow 24-48 hours for a response. I look forward to speaking with you soon.

Demetra Caston, LPC-S, LPCC, NCC