For LMFT-Associates
How to Choose an LMFT Supervisor in Texas
Choosing a supervisor is one of the bigger decisions of your associate years, because this is the person you will bring your hardest sessions to every week. Here is what to look for, what to ask and how I supervise, including where another supervisor may serve you better.
Why This Choice Matters
Supervision is where you learn to think like a clinician rather than follow a checklist. Every week you bring someone the sessions that confused you, the notes you are unsure about and the judgment calls that kept you up at night. The right supervisor makes that feel like a safe place to learn, and because you will meet every week for a long stretch of your training, the relationship itself matters. A poor match can leave you hiding mistakes, copying someone else's style or letting imposter syndrome run your first years. Supervision should prepare you to be the best clinician you can be, and that takes clinical depth and honesty in equal measure.
What to Look for in a Supervisor
Every associate needs something slightly different, but a few qualities are worth looking for in anyone you consider. Pay attention to whether a supervisor offers tools and not only reassurance, and whether they seem curious about the clinician you are becoming rather than invested in making you a copy of themselves. If I were choosing a supervisor today, these are the qualities I would look for:
- Clinical depth across the concerns you are seeing
- Note writing that protects you
- Ethical and clinical judgment for calls that are not in a textbook
- Help finding your own clinical style
- Steady guidance in crisis management
- A safe place to learn, so imposter syndrome does not run your first years
Questions to Ask a Prospective Supervisor
A first conversation with a potential supervisor is an interview in both directions. Come with questions, and listen to how they are answered as much as to the answers themselves. A supervisor who welcomes hard questions before you sign on is more likely to welcome them once you are working together, when the questions get harder. These are worth asking anyone you consider, including me:
- How often do we meet, and is it individual, triad or group?
- What does supervision cost per month or per session?
- How do you review documentation and notes?
- How should I reach you when a crisis comes up?
- Where are you strongest, and where would you send me elsewhere?
- How do you keep up with the board's current requirements?
How I Supervise
I supervise Texas LMFT-Associates in one session weekly, mostly individual, with the possibility of triad or group. Supervision is $450 per month or $120 per session. What I bring is clinical, practical and honest: over 11,907 session hours and counting behind the guidance, ethical and clinical judgment for the calls that are not in a textbook, note writing that protects you, and a large toolbox of trauma, self-esteem, anxiety and behavioral interventions. I also bring Trauma-Focused CBT and eating disorder work, crisis management, and faith-based counseling and spiritual integration.
Above all, I want to help you find your own clinical style rather than copy mine. You should leave supervision with tools, not only reassurance, and with a supervisor who is glad to hear the question you are embarrassed to ask. Not knowing is allowed here, because it is where learning starts. I would rather you bring me the messy case than polish it first.
Where Another Supervisor May Serve You Better
I would rather be straight with you now than have you discover a mismatch later. I received my Texas license under the previous board, TSBEMFT, so BHEC is still somewhat new to me. We are on that journey together, and we will navigate it to make sure everything we do meets the board's requirements. If you would feel more settled with a supervisor who has worked under the current board from the start, that is a fair thing to weigh.
Couples work is the other place to be honest. I have almost 2 decades of experience with couples, especially communication and EFT work, but I have never done official couples trainings. If couples therapy is the center of the career you are building, a supervisor who specializes in it would likely teach you a great deal more, and I would rather tell you that now.
A Note on Board Requirements
Requirements for associates are set by the board, and the details matter, so confirm them directly with the board rather than relying on any supervisor's summary, including mine. A good supervisor helps you stay organized and keeps your documentation in good shape, but the board's own rules are the source of truth. I would rather you read the exact wording at the source than rely on a paraphrase from me. When we first talk, tell me where you are in your hours and what setting you work in, and we can look together at how supervision fits what you still need.
Getting in Touch About Supervision
If you are considering supervision with me, start with the short video on my supervision page. It is the best introduction to how I work with associates and what our weekly hour would be like. Then send a short message through the contact page about your setting, where you are in your hours and what you want supervision to give you. I will tell you honestly whether I am the right fit. You can also read about my path, from community mental health centers in inner-city Los Angeles to private practice in Austin since 2014.
Common Questions
How often do we meet?
Supervision is one session weekly. It is mostly individual, with the possibility of triad or group.
What does supervision with you cost?
Supervision is $450 per month or $120 per session. We can go over the details when you reach out.
Are you familiar with BHEC?
I received my Texas license under the previous board, TSBEMFT, so BHEC is still somewhat new to me. We are on that journey together, and we will make sure everything we do meets the board's requirements.
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