I briefly hinted at starting a long-term goal in my yearly goal post—and if you’re a social worker, you know one of the longest (or what feels like the longest) things for us to get is our LCSW. Another two years of our life, countless hours of supervision and work hours, just to even sit for the licensing exam. It’s not easy, and it’s definitely not cheap.
I started supervision back in March. It has been amazing! I didn’t realize how much supervision could help until I started going twice a month for two hours a session. Being able to process, listen to different points of view on the same topic, and get help on certain situations has been invaluable.
My supervisor is supportive and I love the way she plans and structures our session—she sends out the agenda, articles, case study, and quiz thirty minutes before supervision starts. It’s more than what I expected during supervision, and I am glad that I chose her.
I interviewed a handful of supervisors who were recommended to me; however, I knew that the one I chose was a good fit for me.
I knew when I got serious last year about starting my LCSW process in 2025, I did not want to get supervision through work. My workplace provides it for free; however, free does not always mean there aren’t hidden costs.
I knew I wouldn’t be able to share freely about what’s going on at work with my patients, due to the fact that we all work there, and everyone in that supervision group works for the same manager, and we all work together. Hello, lack of boundaries. I needed space, and I needed a space where I felt safe sharing my concerns, thoughts, and feelings about my work. I didn’t want to worry that my coworker would turn around and spread what was said during supervision to everyone in the hospital, let alone my manager.
Ironically, when I started my LCSW, I talked to my manager about it, making sure she was aware and that I was getting enough “clinical” hours to satisfy the LCSW requirements. She was on board and excited. I told two other people at work, and that’s it.
Lolllolll—if they ever read this blog, they’ll know now—but I’m not comfortable announcing it to everyone at work, just like I never announced that I was a supervisor for a Baylor student for a whole semester.
Not everyone will be excited for you, and not everyone wants you to succeed. Coworkers fall under the category of: the less they know, the less judgment and scrutiny you’ll face. There are some miserable people at work, and I know firsthand that they do not like to see others around them succeed.