Supervision - Competencies

Overview

Skills practiced by the supervisor and supervisee supply the essential tools to achieve continuous development and competency in a CBS intervention. No specific competencies for CBS supervision have been published. There are broad examples of providing quality supervision in general, such as those provided by the American Psychological Association (APA). They outline these competencies in its "Guidelines for Clinical Supervision in Health Service Psychology," emphasizing the following key areas: 

1. Supervisor Competence: Supervisors must possess both clinical and supervisory skills, ensuring they are well-prepared to guide trainees effectively.
2. Diversity: An understanding and appreciation of cultural and individual differences are crucial, enabling supervisors to address diverse client and trainee needs.
3. Supervisory Relationship: Building a strong, collaborative relationship with supervisees fosters a productive learning environment.
4. Professionalism: Supervisors should model ethical behavior, integrity, and responsibility, setting a standard for trainees.
5. Assessment, Evaluation, and Feedback: Providing regular, constructive feedback helps supervisees develop their clinical skills and self-awareness.
6. Ethical, Legal, and Regulatory Considerations: Staying informed about relevant laws and ethical guidelines ensures that supervision and clinical practice adhere to professional standards.

These competencies are designed to ensure supervisors can effectively mentor clinicians in training, promoting professional growth and high-quality client care.

CBS Supervision Competencies Considerations

Until specific supervision competencies are developed for the various CBS (Contextual Behavioral Science) therapy traditions, utilizing the current available knowledge remains the most practical approach. In addition to the possible guidelines for supervision above, it is also helpful to consider several key supervision functions: monitoring performance, maintaining a broader perspective, evaluating meta-competence, and fostering learning and skill development. Meta-competence—the ability to recognize the limits of one’s knowledge and skills—is central to developing and maintaining professional competence. It is essential for addressing the complex and ongoing responsibilities of competence throughout one’s career and guiding others in the competent delivery of therapy. Achieving meta-competence requires the ability to introspect on one’s own cognitive processes and outputs. This, in turn, depends on cultivating self-awareness, engaging in self-reflection, and conducting accurate self-assessments (Weinert, 2001). Supervision can also play a critical role in nurturing meta-competence development in supervisees, providing guidance and support to help individuals build the introspective and evaluative skills necessary for lifelong professional growth and competency.

Below, we list information related to supervision in several CBS therapy approaches. While these resources are valuable, there is a recognized need for more specific competency measures tailored to CBS supervision. Supervisors are encouraged to adapt existing tools and models to their supervisory practice, ensuring they address both the development of their supervisees and their own supervisory competencies.

ACT Supervisor Competency Considerations

Assessing supervisor competencies in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is crucial for effective training and supervision. While specific, standardized measures for evaluating ACT supervisors' competencies are limited, several resources and models can guide the supervision process:

ACT Core Competency Self-Assessment for Clinicians: This tool allows clinicians to evaluate their proficiency in key ACT processes. Supervisors can adapt this form to assess their own competencies or those of their supervisees, facilitating targeted development in specific ACT areas. 

The SEED Model for ACT Supervision: Developed by Jim Lucas and Sally Bradley, this model offers a structured approach to ACT supervision, emphasizing creating a safe learning environment, exploring functional analyses, experimenting with experiential methods, and incorporating deliberate practice. Their eBook provides practical guidance for supervisors aiming to enhance their supervisory skills in ACT. 

The SHAPE Model developed by Dr. Eric Morris and Dr. Linda Nicholson, is a supervision framework within Contextual Behavioral Science (CBS) that integrates principles from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to enhance supervisees' psychological flexibility and experiential learning. 

Supervising Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: Using the ACT Core Competency Form[rw4] [rw5] : Jason Luoma discusses utilizing the ACT Core Competency Rating Form in supervision, offering insights into assessing and developing supervisees' ACT competencies. This approach can be instrumental in providing structured feedback and identifying areas for growth. 

The Portland Model of Peer Consultation Group. Key contributors to this model include Brian L. Thompson, Jason B. Luoma, Christeine M. Terry, Jenna T. LeJeune, Paul M. Guinther, and Harold Robb. The Portland Model is a structured, values-driven approach for therapists practicing Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to refine their skills and support one another collaboratively. This non-hierarchical model emphasizes process over outcomes, fostering psychological flexibility through experiential learning, role-plays, case discussions, and live demonstrations. 

Papers written on supervision using ACT may also help improve competencies in ACT supervision. Consider reading the following: 

Role of emotion in psychotherapy supervision: a contextual behavioural analysis, by Victoria Follette & Sonja Batten 

Supervising Trainees in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, by Robyn Walser & Darrah Westrup 

A contextual behavioral approach to the role of emotion in psychotherapy supervision, by Sonja Batten & Andrew Santanello 

Several tools for assistance with supervision can be found here: 

https://contextualscience.org/training_resources_for_rftfcba_competencies

FAP Supervisor Competency Considerations

Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP) emphasizes the therapeutic relationship as a central mechanism for client change, making supervision a critical component in training effective FAP therapists. Several key publications address the nuances of supervising clinicians in FAP:

Callaghan, G. M. (2006). Functional Analytic Psychotherapy and Supervision. International Journal of Behavioral Consultation and Therapy, 2(3), 416–431. This article provides a comprehensive overview of FAP supervision, detailing essential therapist skills and the process of utilizing in vivo contingent responding to client behaviors during supervision.

Vandenberghe, L. (2009). Keeping the Focus on Clinically Relevant Behavior: Supervision for Functional Analytic Psychotherapy . International Journal of Behavioral Consultation and Therapy, 5(2), 209–221. This paper discusses the complexities of supervising FAP, emphasizing the importance of focusing on clinically relevant behaviors within the supervisory context.

Tsai, M., Callaghan, G. M., & Kohlenberg, R. J. (2013). The Practice of Functional Analytic Psychotherapy.  Springer.  This book includes a chapter dedicated to supervision and therapist self-development in FAP, offering practical guidance for supervisors.

These resources provide insights into the supervision process within FAP, highlighting strategies to enhance therapist competencies and effectively address client behaviors in therapy.

CFT Supervisor Competency Considerations

Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) supervision integrates the principles of CFT into the supervisory relationship, emphasizing the cultivation of compassion and self-awareness in both supervisors and supervisees. This approach fosters a compassionate stance toward clients and enhances therapists' well-being and effectiveness. Several resources provide insights into supervising clinicians in CFT:

Gilbert, P. (2025). Clinical Supervision and Compassion Focused Therapy. Workshop conducted by the Compassionate Mind Foundation. This workshop provides training on integrating CFT principles into clinical supervision, offering practical guidance for supervisors to support therapists in applying compassion-focused approaches.

Benkwitz, S. (2024). Compassion Focused Supervision. This article explores the application of CFT principles within supervision, highlighting the importance of embodying compassion in the supervisory process to enhance therapeutic outcomes.

These resources offer guidance for supervisors aiming to effectively oversee and support clinicians in delivering Compassion-Focused Therapy.

Mindfulness Based Intervnetions Supervisor Competency Considerations

Several key publications provide insights into supervising clinicians in mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs):

Evans, A., Crane, R., Cooper, L., Mardula, J., Wilks, J., Surawy, C., Kenny, M., & Kuyken, W. (2015). A framework for supervision for mindfulness-based teachers: A space for embodied mutual inquiry. Mindfulness, 6(3), 572–581 This article articulates a framework for supervising MBI teachers, emphasizing the importance of embodied mutual inquiry in the supervision process.

Crane, R. S., Soulsby, J. G., Kuyken, W., Williams, J. M. G., & Eames, C. (2012). The Bangor, Exeter & Oxford mindfulness-based interventions teaching assessment criteria (MBI-TAC) for assessing the competence and adherence of mindfulness-based class-based teaching. University of Exeter. This manual provides criteria for assessing the competence and adherence of MBI teachers, serving as a valuable tool in supervision to ensure fidelity to the intervention model. 

Evans, A., & Duckerin, P. (2023). A framework for mindfulness-based supervision. The Mindfulness Network. This framework outlines essential elements of mindfulness-based supervision, including intention, embodied presence, integrity, and compassion/wisdom, offering a comprehensive approach to supervising MBI practitioners.

These resources provide guidance for supervisors aiming to effectively oversee and support clinicians in delivering mindfulness-based interventions.

 

Other References

American Psychological Association. (2015). Guidelines for clinical supervision in health service psychology. American Psychologist, 70(1), 33–46. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0038112

Luoma, J. B., Hayes, S. C., & Walser, R. D. (2017). Learning ACT: An acceptance and commitment therapy skills training manual for therapists (2nd ed.). New Harbinger Publications. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2015.02.004

Thompson, B. L., Luoma, J. B., Terry, C. M., LeJeune, J. T., Guinther, P. M., & Robb, H. (2015). The Portland model of peer consultation: A values-based approach to peer support for clinicians learning Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 4(2), 127–135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2015.02.004.

Weinert, F. E. (2001). Concept of competence: A conceptual clarification. In D. S. Rychen & L. H. Salganik (Eds.), Defining and selecting key competencies (pp. 45–65). Hogrefe & Huber.

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