Why having a secondary supervisor is a good idea
Have you considered the value of having a second supervisor for your psychology internship? Secondary supervision allows provisional psychologists to achieve a broader perspective on their clinical work. It enables interns to access a wider range of clinicians from different backgrounds, areas of expertise, therapeutic orientations and supervisory styles.
It's a great safety net
Secondary supervision provides a helpful safety net when your principal supervisor is unavailable or takes leave. Self-care and career development are important for your supervisor, too, and it’s reasonable to assume that there may be periods during your internship when your Principal supervisor will not be available to you.
Access different knowledge
Having a secondary supervisor allows you to access knowledge that your Principal supervisor may not have. Learning from multiple people can diversify your knowledge base and help you grow your professional toolkit. For example, if you suddenly have to present at court, you may consult with a secondary supervisor who has knowledge in this area without changing principal supervisors.
Maintaining good boundaries
Secondary supervision also helps you to maintain good boundaries and access safe supervisory space if your Principal supervisor is in your workplace. Often, the issues we need supervision around are related to our work, and having your principal supervisor double as your team leader can create conflict of interest dilemmas when it comes to raising and resolving your concerns in workplace supervision.
Better understand your supervision needs
Every supervisor has their own style, and it can benefit your training and development as a psychologist to learn from a variety of people. Changing primary supervisors involves time, commitment and paperwork. Trying a session with a secondary supervisor allows you to reflect on what your supervision needs are before you decide to change Principal supervisors.
Working with COPP
At COPP, we provide opportunities to learn from different supervisors and experts. We take the time to match you to both Principal and Secondary supervisors depending on your needs, giving you the best opportunity to thrive during your internship.
What's next?
Talk to us today to find out about our comprehensive Psychologist Registration Programs, including our 5+1 program and our bespoke 4+2 completion program.
