A Qualitative Study of Supervisors' Reflections on Providing Sanctioned Supervision

Sanctioned supervision, sometimes referred to as mandated supervision or professional monitoring, is intended to protect the public, reduce further counselor ethical/legal violations, and improve the professional practice of the counselor adjudicated for unprofessional behavior. Sanctioned supervision is a common remediation intervention required by state regulatory board. However, there is a lack of research on the practice of sanctioned supervision and the perceptions of the sanctioned supervisors. A qualitative research approach was used to better understand the experiences of four supervisors who provided sanctioned supervision within the past year as part of a state regulatory board remediation process. The main themes from the qualitative study included the following: supervisors finding the supervision process to be unique from traditional supervision, and supervisors experience ambivalence about the sanctioned supervision process. Practice considerations for supervisors producing sanctioned supervision are discussed