Being An Internship Supervisor: Moving Into Observation Role

My intern is starting to lead session elements and is close to taking over the entire group caseload. which means that I am moving from the role of "therapist" to the role of "observer." I have found my clipboard and am using my feedback forms during every session. We have established some goals and are working towards those goals.

I enjoy watching interns start to develop their own relationships with students and finding their ways of doing music therapy. This is the best part of being an internship director, as far as I am concerned. While handing over my clients to someone else is always difficult, I enjoy watching interns grow in confidence and skill over their 1020 hours at the internship.

I am still on call for all groups. If my intern takes up most of the time in the session, then the intern will finish the session - I think that will happen in all of our 30 minute sessions this week. If my intern does not take up most of the session, then I have to finish the time. That will probably happen for our 60 minute sessions this week. I will end up being "therapist" for a portion of those sessions.

Being an observer is hard for me. I have to remove myself from the session completely to curb my tendency to "fix" things that are happening in the group sessions. I will be sitting in my office more than in the music therapy area. I always have eyes on my interns, but I have to leave the actual area to allow them to figure out what they need to do with clients. If I am present, then I am in the role of "therapist," and I cannot be in that role all the time.

So, I have an observation form that I use to provide feedback to my interns. I have been using that form for four years now. I spent some money to get the form printed on NCR paper so I can keep a copy of the feedback I provide and still give the original to the intern. I can track specific goals, take data for multiple sessions, and provide narrative feedback. I can also track competency objectives - I track instruments and TMEs in every session. I like this form, and it is available for you here for $1 USD.

I woke up late this morning, so this is all I have for you. I have four more days of work before I end up heading to the World Congress for Music Therapy. I'll miss the last week of summer school for this conference. When I get back, I will be on my last summer break for the year. It will be nice to have some time to rest from my moving around the world before I head back to work. Time to go.

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