Is this English for Psychologists or Supervision?

Though the answer may seem obvious at first, these roles overlap in more ways than one.

English for psychologists is an exciting, new and emerging field. So much so that (as far as I know) there are currently no usable manuals, textbooks, or training programs for teachers.

Instead, I've spent the past four years creating my teaching materials, experimenting, developing and refining my approach to prepare mental health professionals to work with English-speaking clients.

This process involves much more than finding and putting resources together. The deep, precise self-awareness that clinical work requires means that I’ve also had to consider key questions about the scope of my support.

What is my exact role, here? How can I best support therapists? What’s the line between teaching English and supervision?

What is supervision?

Well, first of all, according to the APA, supervision is a distinct professional practice employing a collaborative relationship that has both facilitative and evaluative components, that extends over time, which has the goals of enhancing the professional competence and science-informed practice of the supervisee, monitoring the quality of services provided, protecting the public, and providing a gatekeeping function for entry into the profession.

Although my relationship with my students is collaborative, and facilitative, extending over time, the only aspects of their performance I evaluate are linked to their use of English. In other words, I may correct mistakes, suggest other ways of wording something, or experiment with grammar or syntax to convey a different nuance of language. I wouldn’t, however, evaluate the way that a psychotherapist carries out an empty chair technique or helps a client reprocess a traumatic experience. 

Helping a therapist improve their spoken fluency, accuracy and precision does enhance their professional competence and the quality of the services they provide. However, this is certainly not a replacement for the type of training that supervision provides. I neither prevent nor stop practitioners from working.   

A supervisor’s roles

There are many times when class activities, exercises or discussions might feel similar to supervision. To understand why, it’s helpful to look at the roles a supervisor plays, described in Janine Bernard’s Discrimination Model of Supervision.

In this model, supervisors adopt three basic roles, depending on the supervisees’ goals and needs: a teacher, counsellor, and evaluator. The roles of administrator and consultant were added to the model later on.

As a teacher, for example, the supervisor observes and evaluates a supervisee’s sessions, identifying interventions that are effective or ineffective or demonstrating them directly.

In their role as a counsellor, they facilitate a supervisee’s self-exploration – helping them process their feelings (during sessions, when carrying out interventions or towards specific clients), discover areas for personal growth and address their concerns to build their confidence.

When supervisees have gained more experience, supervisors act as consultants. They brainstorm strategies and interventions with their supervisees, offering them alternative ways of conceiving and working with clients. They may ask the supervisee to take a more active role in the session, by structuring it or providing the supervisor with feedback.

As an evaluator, the supervisor provides feedback to the supervisee, licensing boards, graduate school programs and professional associations.

Finally, the supervisor must also act as an administrator. They ensure supervisees adhere to policies and obey laws (for example, by keeping client records confidential).

Why can my classes feel like supervision at times?

As soon as I started preparing therapists for their first sessions in English, I realized that just focusing on language was far from enough. I also frequently take the role of a counsellor.

Firstly, I feel I must create a safe, judgment-free space for therapists to truly experiment, learn and grow.

Secondly, providing therapy in English involves many contradictory feelings, thoughts and experiences.  A therapist may have a very high command of English, but, due to a lack of practice or self-assurance, they feel overwhelmed, apprehensive or insecure. During a session, they might start to second-guess the appropriateness of the words they are using, which can lead to more hesitation, fillers (um….ah…well…) and a stilted, forced style. This, in turn, can have a major impact on communication with clients.

To manage or even prevent this unhelpful effect on communication, it’s key to explore and work through these feelings, finding strategies to self-regulate. 

Besides, one of my main goals is to foster my students' verbal fluency, accuracy, and vocabulary range. A highly effective way of doing that is by communicating complex, nuanced ideas and emotions, such as exploring what it’s like to provide therapy in another language.

Occasionally, I act as a consultant too, but only when it comes to English. I may help a student brainstorm different ways of using language for specific purposes (ex. Confronting a client) or ask them targeted questions to explore why they are using certain words, expressions or grammar forms rather than others. I also frequently ask for feedback, as I need to understand whether the work we do together fulfils my students’ needs.

So, where do I draw the line with supervision? 

Going back to the discrimination model, the roles that I don’t adopt are those of an administrator or evaluator. More importantly, though, I am an English teacher for psychologists, not a psychology teacher. Ultimately, I don’t give therapists instructions about what to do with their clients. I help them do the work they already do, in English.

Understanding these distinctions helps clarify the way specialized English training, whilst very different from supervision, goes beyond language learning. If you want to know more about receiving this type of support, you can book a free consultation here. For weekly tips, advice and resources, sign up for my newsletter here.