Counselling Dilemma: An Issue with a Supervisee
You are a counsellor and approved supervisor working in your own private practice. One of your supervisees, Mary, who has been with you for over twelve months, has told you that her sister is going through a lengthy and difficult relationship breakdown. Mary has previously suggested to her sister that she seek counselling but her sister has rejected the idea outright. Recently, however, when they met for coffee, her sister said that she would attend counselling but only if it could be with you, as she felt that she would be comfortable with you from what Mary had told her. Mary intends to continue to work with you as her supervisor.
What would you do in this situation; what issues does it raise?
If Mary was unable to accept that her sister?s case would not be open for discussion (due to confidentiality), either in or out of supervision sessions, then I would give Mary the option of choosing to continue supervision with me and I would not take on the sister as a client, but would offer suitable referrals and assist in encouraging the sister to seek help elsewhere. Alternately, I could offer Mary a referral of her supervision services to another supervisor and I then take on the sister without any risk of confidentiality being an issue.
If I were to consider taking on the client and retaining the supervision contract with Mary then it would need to be ascertained if I was skilled/trained and/or willing to work with relationship breakdown issues; and that I had a current vacancy in my client load. This being the case, there would be conditions to taking Mary?s sister on as a client and continuing with the supervision contract.
Both Mary and her sister would need to understand the issue of confidentiality and agree that neither sister would be able to discuss the other in any of the sessions.
It would be important to ensure Mary understood my role and responsibilities as her supervisor ? my role would include enquiries on how she is doing with her clients and support her in dealing with her clients; it would not include discussion of my clients with my supervisee(s). I would also explain to the sister my role as counsellor and what would and would not be acceptable points for discussion in counselling (eg. nothing will be disclosed to Mary).
I would not accept the sister as a client unless she herself called to make the appointment – I would listen to the issue(s) and gain a greater understanding of what the sister wanted from counselling and then make a final decision as what would be in the best interest for the client as far as suitability of my counselling services. If I decided that I could not, or did not want to, work with the current issues for the sister, I would encourage her to accept my referral to a more appropriate counselling service.
Some issue(s) for concern would be:
Mary wanting to know how her sister was coping/progressing; Mary?s possible desire to offer alternate/additional information about the sister or others involved in the relationship breakdown; The sister possibly not sharing all relevant information about the issue for fear that Mary may hear it; The sister?s reluctance to offer relevant information about others involved for fear of Mary finding out; The sister?s preconceived idea of what I (as a Counsellor) would be able to offer, based on what Mary may have already told her; Preconceived ideas on the difference between how I operate as a Counsellor as opposed to how I operate as a Supervisor; My own ability to remain non-judgmental/ impartial based on information already gained from contact with Mary; Differences between the information Mary has already shared compared to the information provided by the sister in counselling (if the sessions commence); Ability to maintain Confidentiality and Impartiality as either Supervisor or Counsellor.