Anarchy in Clinical Supervision

Welcome to Anarchy in Clinical Supervision. This training invites supervisors and clinicians to step beyond inherited hierarchies and reimagine supervision as a relational, collaborative, and liberatory practice. Together, we will examine how power, institutional norms, and unexamined assumptions shape supervisory relationships, often in ways that reproduce fear, compliance, and burnout rather than growth. Drawing from anarchist philosophy, critical theory, multicultural supervision research, and contemporary models of reflective practice, this course translates complex political and relational ideas into practical supervisory skills. We’ll explore how authority operates in supervision, how systemic and neurotypical biases become embedded in competency standards, and how bureaucratic mandates quietly shift supervision from mentorship to surveillance. This training will guide you in decentralizing power while maintaining clear ethical and legal boundaries. We’ll also explore supervision as a corrective and healing experience. Many clinicians carry relational wounds from prior training environments shaped by hierarchy and control. This course offers an alternative vision: supervision as a secure base, mutual aid, and shared decision-making. By the end, you’ll have a deeper understanding of how power functions in supervisory systems, how to foster autonomy without abandoning accountability, and how to cultivate supervisory relationships grounded in trust, creativity, and collective growth. Learning Objectives 1. Deconstruct biases embedded in professional counseling supervision. 2. Challenge traditional models of supervision in professional counseling, rooted in hierarchical and bureaucratic structures. 3. Explore how to decentralize power to build a collaborative supervisory relationship that fosters trust and autonomy, while maintaining compliance with professional standards. 4. Redefine the purpose of supervision as a tool for mutual growth, empowerment, and support.