Episode Details

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In this episode, I sit down with Drs. Stephanie Nelson and Alison Wilkinson-Smith to address a persistent gap in the field of psychological assessment: the lack of a structured, evidence-based approach to supervision. We move beyond the traditional “osmosis” model of training to explore how supervisors can intentionally externalize their implicit expertise. Our conversation focuses on the SCOOP framework and the SWIRL model, providing a roadmap for navigating everything from case conceptualization to the emotional ruptures that occur when a supervisor and trainee reach a diagnostic stalemate. By integrating research on medical education and elite coaching with the core values of therapeutic assessment, Stephanie and Alison offer a comprehensive guide to becoming an attuned and effective supervisor.

Main Topics Discussed

• 01:37: The origin of the collaboration and the “mixed bag” of early career supervision.
• 08:17: The current state of supervision literature and the competency-based shift.
• 12:42: Navigating the transition from unconscious effectiveness to expert teaching.
• 15:53: Establishing emotional safety and the “nesting bowls” of clinical containment.
• 35:29: An overview of the SCOOP model for structuring supervision sessions.
• 40:50: Using the “First Crack” method to identify a trainee’s zone of proximal development.
• 54:22: Strategies for externalizing implicit clinical skills and avoiding the “master-apprentice” trap.
• 59:37: Resolving friction and diagnostic stalemates using the SWIRL framework.

Cool Things Mentioned

• Craft: the premier membership community for testing psychologists
• Crafted Practice: the only in-person business retreat for testing psychologists
• Reverb: the premier AI-powered report-writing platform for testing psychologists
• Stephanie & Alison’s upcoming workshop: https://www.level2psychconsult.com/supervision-and-mentorship-workshop 
• Level 2 Psych Consult: https://www.level2psychconsult.com
• Essentials of Psychological Assessment Supervision (Jordan Wright): www.amazon.com/Essentials-Psychological-Assessment-Supervision-Essentials/dp/1119565507
• Supervision in Neuropsychology (Bowden, Stuckey, and Bush): www.amazon.com/Supervision-Neuropsychology-Clinical-Neuropsychology-Practice/dp/0199837775
• Therapeutic Assessment Institute: www.therapeuticassessment.com

Featured Resources

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