Oregon-based Clinical Supervision
Hello! I am Susan M. Doak, LPC an Oregon-based Clinical Supervisor and and Private Practice Consultant. Choosing a supervisor for your supervision hours towards your license can be a daunting task. Trust me, I’ve been there! Before you make a decision, it is important to know what style of supervision you prefer and what you hope to get out of the experience beyond accumulating your necessary hours. Your first years of supervision are critical in your formation as a therapist and will impact your career for years to come. Choose wisely!
Why I chose to become a clinical supervisor
After working with clients for 17 years, I was looking for a way to nurture up-and-coming clinicians in a world where the counseling field is changing rapidly, and clinicians are in high demand. I am a private practice clinician currently and have years of experience in other mental health settings such as residential services, out-patient community mental health, and urban home-based counseling services. Having been licensed as a counselor in both Massachusetts and Oregon, I have observed how two very different health systems harm and help improve public mental health.
I loved my work with families and kids, postpartum parents, college students, young adults, midlife adults, and mature adults. For the entirety of my career, I have worked with those on Medicaid, and in the last 10 years, have also served those on private insurance. My private practice is open to a wide income spectrum, making us very accessible to a variety of people in our community. I also have extensive experience working with clients from a variety of abilities, cultural and racial backgrounds including immigrant populations, neurodivergent clients, BIPOC populations and those in the queer community (LGBTQIA+). I’ve worked with interpreters in the therapy room, serving clients and families who communicate in Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, and American Sign Language.
Where our profession is headed
Post-Covid, the counseling profession needs clinicians who are not only clinically competent, but also those who are deeply in touch with who they are and why they have chosen to dedicate their careers this work. Tech companies, AI and health insurances are driving many of the changes we will face over the decade. The ethical decision making that has characterized our vigilance around client privacy and confidentiality is being eroded by large health-tech companies with corporate goals that put making money above client care and privacy. I believe that clinicians as a human resource are the heart of therapeutic healing and positive change for those seeking mental health help. The core of this work for clinicians is ethical decision-making that puts clients first. How else can we earn the trust of our clients? Human healing comes from genuine connections with real people we trust.
The “Vision” in Supervision
I envision supervision as encompassing two major areas. My supervision method centers on both the clinical work AND on clinician professional career formation. I’ll explain.
- Clinical supervision will focus on developing your core clinical competencies around interpersonal and helping skills, clinical assessment and diagnosis, interventions, documentation, and ethical decision making. Good supervision also covers transference and countertransference in the client-counselor relationship.
- Clinical supervision will focus on helping you to develop as a professional with boundaries and resources that will give you the ability to do this work long term. Burn out prevention is not just about self-care, but it is also about developing your capacities as a professional and as a human to be resilient in a world of need. I have a passion for nurturing counselors as clinicians and as healers.
My style
I have a style that welcomes open dialogue, encouragement and introspection. I don’t shy away from challenging my supervisees to work through discomfort. My theoretical orientation is based in existential, humanistic, attachment theory balanced by years of experiencing in practical skill building from CBT, DBT and Solution Focused Brief Therapy. I also believe strongly in psychoeducation for clients around trauma and human development. I am certified in Maternal Mental Health by Postpartum Support International. For the last 5 years, I have let my team in navigating grey ethical zones and have spent countless hours researching HIPAA requirements, writing policies and procedures, testing HIPAA compliant technology tools, and consulting with clinicians around ethical decision making.
As a supervisor, I am not a micro-manager. The goal is to build your ability for critical thinking and independent decision formation. Confidence comes from practice, flexibility, and mindful reflection. I’d love to support you in your career goals as you journey toward licensure and the rest of your career.
Let’s talk
If you think I could be a fit for you as a clinical supervisor, send me an email to susan@newbergcounselingandwellness.com with your resume/CV and a note of interest and we can start a conversation about the possibilities.
*Susan M Doak, LPC is a registered Clinical Supervisor candidate and listed on the Registry for the Oregon Board of Licensed Counselors and Therapists.
Base Requirements for Clinical Supervision
1) Must be a registered LPC Associate or LMFT Associate in the state of Oregon.
2) Intent to complete licensure requirements in 2-4 years.
3) Completion of a master’s degree in counseling or Marriage and Family Therapy (or related degree).
4) Obtain and maintain your own professional malpractice liability insurance (including board complaint coverage and cyber security).
5) Ability to manage your own time and log your own hours/monitor paperwork with the Oregon Board.
6) Strong communication skills verbally and via email and phone
7) A willingness to learn, accept feedback and try new things.
NOTE regarding risk: Clinical Supervisors take on a risk as their license is on the line when supervising pre-licensed clinicians. As a supervisee, your actions can significantly impact your supervisor’s ongoing ability to continue to practice counseling. This degree of risk on the supervisor’s side should be met with the supervisee’s commitment to do their due diligence to follow ethical and legal guidelines in delivering responsible mental health care to clients. Keeping open lines of communication between you and your supervisor is the best way to grow as a practitioner and to mitigate risk.
Fees for Clinical Supervision and Consultation
| SERVICE | FEE |
| Individual Supervision | $165 per hour |
| Group Supervision (with at least one other supervisee) | $85 per hour |
| One time case consultation (Not clinical supervision) | $165 per hour |
| Private Practice Set up consultation (Not clinical supervision) | $165 per hour |
INTERESTED? If you think I could be a fit for you as a clinical supervisor, shot me an email susan@newbergcounselingandwellness.com with your resume/CV and a note of interest and we can start a conversation about the possibilities.