What Is a Meta-Supervisor? (Supervision of Supervision, Explained)
By Jaime G. Miralles — BABCP Accredited CBT Therapist & CBT Accredited Clinical Supervisor and Meta Supervisor
TL;DR A meta-supervisor supervises other clinicians’ supervisory practice, not just their clinical work with clients – supporting people who are themselves supervisors to develop, reflect, and stay accountable in how they supervise others.
Key takeaways
- A meta-supervisor works with supervisors on their supervisory practice, not their client work.
- You need to demonstrate you’ve chosen an appropriate person for your own supervisory supervision.
- The BABCP recommends this at roughly 5% of your supervisory caseload, or one hour a month.
- Meta-supervision helps you keep developing your skills as a supervisor, not just maintain them.
The straightforward version
I’m a supervisor of CBT, and also a meta-supervisor — meaning I supervise someone else’s supervisory practice, not just their clinical work with clients. When people ask what that actually means in practice: if you’re an accredited CBT supervisor yourself, you still need supervision, but it’s supervision of how you supervise, rather than supervision of a caseload of clients.
Accredited supervisors should be receiving appropriate levels of supervision for their own supervisory practice — roughly equivalent to 5% of your supervisory caseload, or one hour a month, from a qualified CBT therapist experienced enough to support that role.
You have flexibility to choose who provides this support for your supervisory practice. However, you’ll always be required to evidence that you’ve chosen a supervisor appropriate to offer that support. Most likely, if you’re a supervisor yourself, you’ll need someone like a meta-supervisor: someone with more experience, or at least equivalent experience, who has worked in that supervisory-of-supervisors space before.
It’s a space to reflect on your journey as a supervisor — what’s worked in your own supervision over the years, what hasn’t, and what you bring to the table for the people you supervise. It’s also where you can be honest about the impact the work has on you, and how you continue to be compassionate and kind to yourself while doing it.
What’s the difference between a supervisor and a meta-supervisor?
A supervisor works directly with therapists on their clinical practice. A meta-supervisor works with supervisors on their supervisory practice.
How much meta-supervision do I need as an accredited supervisor?
Roughly 5% of your supervisory caseload, or about one hour a month, is the BABCP’s general guidance.
Can any supervisor provide meta-supervision?
You need to be able to evidence that whoever you’ve chosen is appropriate to offer that specific kind of support — usually someone with equivalent or greater supervisory experience.
If you’re an accredited supervisor looking for meta-supervision yourself, that’s an area I work in and would be happy to discuss with you. Find out more about my BABCP clinical supervision here.
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