To ensure there is no confusion with terms in this document it is important to point out that Professional Supervision encompasses several subjects one being Clinical Supervision. Many therapists use the term Clinical Supervision as though it was interchangeable with Professional Supervision; however, they are not one in the same thing. Clinical Supervision is one component of Professional Supervision. For ease of reading this document will refer to Professional Supervision as “Supervision”.
This document is intended to dispel any misconceptions as to what ACA defines as “Professional Supervision” and what are member obligations to ACA in relation to Supervision. All practising full members of ACA (level 1 to 4), including supervisors, are required to undertake annual supervision to maintain their status as practising members. Supervision is a mandatory requirement of most professional organisations and should be written into employment contracts. Counsellors in private practice are responsible for organising their own supervision. To facilitate this, a register of Supervisors can be found on the ACA web site. Registered ACA Supervisors belong to the ACA College of Supervisors and have met stringent entry criteria.