Counseling supervision
Counseling supervision helps nurture novice professionals by instilling required skills, bolstering professional growth and development, and attaining self-efficacy. According to Merriman (2015), there should be open and honest communication between an upcoming counselor and a supervisor to initiate a strong working alliance that could help both parties thrive in the counseling profession. Supervisors also encourage insights into situations that may bring dilemmas in the counseling field. Thus, in the case of DeNoble (found guilty of two counts: sending sexual messages, and acknowledging an interest to assist a client get access to drugs), the supervisor could have explained to the counselor the severity of such offenses as crossing the professional boundary and having/intending to have relationships with clients (Virginia Department of Health Professions, 2021). The ACA (2014) explains that a counselor should explain to the trainees the need to acquire competency skills, and maintain such prowess to their professions’ benefit. In the scenario, the supervisor should have had explained to the counselor the need to uphold professionalism that limits him from developing sexual bonds with clients.
Several gatekeeping strategies apply in DeNoble’s scenario. The supervisor could recommend voluntary professional credentialing courses that could help the counselor learn more about keeping boundaries with clients. Secondly, the supervisor could also refer the counselor to other assistance programs to help DeNoble address problems that he currently experiences.
Self-care strategies for counselors may vary considerably per person. However, there are general guidelines that may help one avoid burnout incidences. Firstly, the counselor could engage in workouts in the mornings or evenings to relax his mind. Secondly, one could also take part in meditation as a form of mental exercise.
References
American Counseling Association (ACA, 2014). 2014 ACA Code of Ethics. Alexandria, VA: Author. Retrieved from https://www.counseling.org/resources/aca-code-of-ethics.pdf
Merriman, J. (2015). Enhancing Counselor Supervision Through Compassion Fatigue Education. Journal of Counseling & Development, 93(3), 370–378. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1002/jcad.12035
Virginia Department of Health Professions (2021). Counseling case decisions in the last 90 days (10/17/2020 and 1/15/2021). Retrieved from https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/enforcement/cdecision/boardresults.asp?board=7