A licensed professional counselor-supervisor (LPC-S) is a mental health professional who is licensed to supervise other mental health professionals who are attempting to qualify for a license to practice counseling or psychotherapy. In many cases, the LPC-S also maintains his own practice in addition to his supervisory duties. The requirements for clinical supervision vary by jurisdiction, but typically include meeting regularly with supervisees and monitoring their performance with clients, which may include viewing videotapes of counseling sessions. The LPC-S is typically also accountable for providing a licensing board with accurate reports of a supervisee's work and potential as a counselor.
Many jurisdictions recognize several different types of mental health professionals, including licensed professional counselors (LPCs), who typically have a master's degree in counseling and must undergo a licensing process that requires a period of offering counseling services under the supervision of a more experienced counselor. To ensure the quality of the supervision, many jurisdictions require supervisors to obtain either professional certification or licensure as supervisors. As with other types of professional licensing and certification, this process varies by jurisdiction, but typically requires the aspiring supervisor to have practiced counseling for several years and to complete an academic or continuing education course in the area of clinical supervision.
Once an individual becomes an LPC-S, she can seek out supervisees, or she may simply be able to take on a supervisor role if she is working in a mental health clinic or large mental health practice. Supervisees must typically pay a fee to their supervisor for these services, which will vary by supervisor. These fees help a LPC-S balance her duties so that she can continue to see her own clients while also supervising others.
Supervisory services can take several forms, and laws and regulations in individual jurisdictions can differ significantly regarding the number of supervision hours that a supervisee must undergo prior to applying for a license. In some cases, the supervisor may act as a co-therapist with the aspiring counselor so that the supervisor can directly observe how the counselor works with his or her clients. In other cases, the counselor may obtain permission from clients to record therapy sessions so that the supervisor can review the counselor's technique. Some supervisors utilize a group supervision model, in which aspiring counselors come together to share information and to receive feedback from both the supervisor and their colleagues. In all cases, the LPC-S is responsible for accounting for these hours of supervision so that the aspiring counselor can document his experience during the licensing process.