Clinical Supervision & Case Consultation Los Angeles, CA.
Counseling Supervision In Los Angeles
If you're just finding this page, welcome!
I'm Oliver, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Los Angeles with nearly a decade of experience in mental health and over six years of counseling supervision experience providing both group supervision and one-on-one clinical supervision.
For many years I was the Clinical Director of an adolescent residential treatment center in Malibu, CA where I hired, trained and supervised a clinical team to work with adolescents and families. The program I created there was family systems focused when it came to helping families and psychodynamic psychotherapy when it came to groups and working with individual clients.
I love helping new therapists with their professional growth and as a clinical supervisor aim to provide support around understanding different theoretical frameworks, diversity issues, legal and ethical issues but most of all, new ways to help provide quality care, interventions and skills that impact your clients mental health in a positive way.
Psychodynamic Supervision
In my psychodynamic supervision, I guide new therapists in developing a deeper understanding of their clients by focusing on three key areas.
Conceptualization
First, we work on case formulation. I help therapists explore what's going on with their clients by looking at object relations, identifying key psychological defenses, and examining how the client's family of origin continues to impact their present-day experiences. Psychodynamic therapy has a core emphasis on developmental models and is a useful tool in understanding common mental health concerns.
Together, we uncover the deeper layers of the client's internal world, allowing for a more nuanced and effective approach to treatment
.
Psychological Defenses
Another area I emphasize is the recognition and understanding of psychological defenses. Defenses are essential to how clients navigate the world, and being able to identify them can provide invaluable insights into their behaviors and thought processes.
I work closely with new therapists to help them recognize these defenses as they emerge in the therapeutic relationship, using this understanding to create a more thorough conceptualization of the client's struggles.
Transference and Countertransference
Lastly, I place significant importance on understanding transference and countertransference dynamics. These unconscious processes play a crucial role in the therapeutic relationship, and being attuned to them can significantly enhance a therapist's effectiveness.
In supervision, I help therapists navigate their own countertransference reactions and understand how the client’s transference may be influencing the dynamics of the relationship, creating space for deeper therapeutic work.
Family Systems Consultation and Supervision
In my family systems consultation and supervision, I support therapists in developing a broader view of their clients by focusing on the complex relational dynamics within families. Family systems therapy helps therapists see individuals in the context of their family unit, recognizing how family roles, patterns, and unresolved issues impact the client's current situation. Through this lens, I guide therapists in navigating these dynamics, ensuring that they can effectively help their clients work through relational challenges.
Bowen Family Systems Supervision
A core component of my supervision process with family or couples work is rooted in the Bowen Family Systems approach, which emphasizes understanding clients in relation to their family of origin.
Differentiation of Self.
This is the ability to separate one's own thoughts and emotions from those of others, particularly family members.
In supervision, I work with therapists to help their clients navigate the tension between individuality and connection, guiding them toward healthier, more autonomous functioning within their relationships.
Patterns In Relationships
Another area of focus in the counselling supervision I provide is understanding over- and under-functioning dynamics, as well as emotional distance and enmeshment within families. These patterns often emerge in family relationships, and recognizing them is essential for effective treatment.
I help therapists identify these dynamics in their clients’ relationships and teach them strategies for helping clients restore balance and emotional clarity in their family roles.
Structural Family Systems SUPERVISION
I offer supervision grounded in Structural Family Systems Therapy, which provides more tangible results when working with families in which there are externalizing behaviors such as acting out, school refusal or failure to launch syndrome.
Structural Family Mapping.
One of the primary tools I teach as a clinical supervisor is Structural Family Mapping. This technique helps therapists visualize the relational patterns and hierarchies within a family, providing a clear picture of where dysfunctions and imbalances might exist. I guide therapists in creating these maps and using them as a tool to facilitate meaningful changes in family structure and communication.
HIERARCHY AND BOUNDARIES
I also emphasize the importance of understanding hierarchy and boundaries in family systems. These concepts are crucial for maintaining healthy relationships and family functioning.
In supervision, I help therapists explore the roles and boundaries within their clients' families, focusing on how power dynamics and unclear boundaries can contribute to dysfunction—and, more importantly, how to restructure these dynamics for healthier outcomes.
How Does A Clinical Supervisor Help?
Supervision plays a critical role in the professional development of therapists of all experience levels. It serves as a space for reflection, skill enhancement, and emotional processing, and sometimes just another mind to help you think through challenging cases.
Through supervision, therapists and associate therapists can address their challenges and gain insights into their practice, fostering growth and effectiveness.
If you're a new therapist, clinical supervision is a cornerstone in the development of effective, confident therapists.
It provides a structured space for therapists to enhance their skills and expand their knowledge collaboratively with your clinical supervisor.
In supervision, therapists have the opportunity to refine their clinical techniques, learn new approaches, and see things from a different perspective.
This is part of the continuous learning that therapists sign up for, and translates directly into better care for clients, as therapists become more adept at meeting the diverse needs of those they serve.
I help new therapists navigate this learning curve by offering guidance, feedback, and real-world insights that they can immediately apply in their practice.
Experience can enhance therapeutic skills, but it does not guarantee improvement. I tend to find that therapists must remain engaged in their professional development to continue growing in their practice.
What Do Clinical Supervisors Help With?
One of the primary functions of supervision is to combat complacency and stagnation or just feeling stuck with a client.
Therapists often (frequently!) face moments where they feel stuck or unsure about their approach. Supervision provides a structured environment to explore these feelings and re-energize their practice.