Supervising Therapists Through Life's Challenges- Navigating the Thin Line Between Mentoring and Therapy

Description

Therapists don’t get a free pass from life’s challenges—and neither do those who supervise them. When personal struggles show up in the supervisory relationship, knowing where mentorship ends and therapy begins is critical.

As a clinical supervisor, you walk a delicate line—supporting professional growth while maintaining appropriate boundaries. This course equips you with the insight and strategies to supervise with clarity, compassion, and ethical integrity when personal issues arise for your supervisees.

Ruby L. Blow, MA, LPC, NCC, BCC, CPCS, ACS, BC-TMH, is a nationally recognized expert in clinical supervision with over two decades of experience. A recipient of the Counselor Educator of the Year Award in Georgia, Ruby brings a seasoned, compassionate, and ethically grounded approach to supervision, particularly in navigating complex relational dynamics.

In this one-hour self-study course, Ruby shares her hard-earned wisdom on supporting therapists through their own life challenges—without crossing into therapeutic territory. She blends clinical supervision theory with real-world application, encouraging reflection, healthy boundaries, and personalized mentorship.

Topics include how to recognize when a supervisee is struggling, how to respond with care and professionalism, how to navigate conversations around therapy referrals, and how to distinguish between helpful boundary crossings and harmful violations. Ruby also explores how culture, life stage, mental health, and personal development affect supervisee performance—and how supervisors can guide without overstepping.

Key Takeaways:

• Recognize supervisee challenges early: Learn what signs suggest your supervisee is struggling and how to compassionately intervene.

• Mentor, don’t therapize: Discover how to support personal growth while maintaining professional boundaries.

• Refer wisely: Understand how to tailor recommendations for therapeutic support that reflect each supervisee’s unique context.

Why this course?

• Timely, relevant guidance: Today’s therapists face increasing pressures—and so do their supervisors. This course addresses supervision in the real world.

• Led by a seasoned supervision expert: Ruby Blow has built her entire practice on training supervisors and supporting supervisees through ethical complexity.

• Practical and empowering: Learn strategies you can immediately apply to reduce risk, support your supervisees, and grow as a confident mentor.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify and respond, whether in person or at a distance, to changes in supervisee's behavior, specifically as a mentor and supervisor.

• Make recommendations for therapists/supervisees based on who they are, rather than general and standard responses.

• Navigate boundary crossings vs boundary violations as it relates to entering into the personal world of your supervisees.

With warmth and professionalism, this course invites you to develop the clarity, courage, and skill to supervise therapists through the inevitable personal hurdles of professional life. Join us in supporting those who support others.

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Format and Access

This non-interactive self-study course. Instruction consists of 1 hour of video instruction and a post-test.

Course Details

Availability: 

From the time of registration, you have six months to access the coursework.

Who Should Attend: 

This course is intended for clinicians who provide behavioral health services.

Teaching Methods: 

This is a non-interactive, self-study course. Teaching methods for this course include recorded lectures, videos, a post-test, and a course evaluation.

How to Attend: 

Course access and completion instructions.

Instructor and Disclosures

Instructor

About Ruby L. Blow, MA, LPC, NCC, BCC, CPCS, ACS, BC-TMH

Ruby Blow is a licensed professional counselor in the state of Georgia. Her current practice focus is professional development and she provides tele-supervision and tele-consultation. Her services include both group and individual modalities. She is a leader in the field of clinical supervision practice and has been in practice for 22 years. In 2012, Ruby won the Counselor Educator of the Year Award in the state of Georgia from the Professional Counselors Association. She has worked with mental health professionals in the area of clinical development from the beginning of her career. She taught for 10 years as an adjunct faculty member at Argosy University Atlanta. During her time as a clinical instructor, she led students in their practicum internships as their instructor of record. She gained experience in distance supervision leading all online sections of practicum/internship seminar. Ruby is an approved clinical supervisor and a board certified telemental health provider.

Ruby Blow's instructor information.

Disclosure Statement: 

The instructor for this course receive compensation for their services. There are no reported conflicts of interest to disclose.

CE Hours

Credit Hours: 

This course consists of 1 continuing education hour of credit.

Counselors:

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No, 6693.  Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified.  Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. 

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Mental Health Counselors. #MHC-0048.

Marriage and Family Therapists: 

Many MFT licensing boards accept our courses or one of the approvals which we have from professional associations.  You can check with your board to determine if your licensing board would accept this course.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0135, effective May 8, 2025.

Social Workers:

Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, #1609, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 05/02/2024 – 05/02/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 1 clinical continuing education credit.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Social Workers #SW-0435.

Addiction Professionals:

This course has been approved by Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for educational credits, effective 2/23/2021. NAADAC Provider #193104, Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is responsible for all aspects of the programming.

Psychologists:

Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Telehealth Certification Institute LLC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Psychologists #PSY-0128.

Art Therapists: 

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Creative Arts Therapists #CAT-0093.

Other Professionals: 

This course qualifies for 60 minutes of instructional content as required by many national, state and local licensing boards and professional organizations.  Retain your certificate of completion and contact your board or organization for specific filing requirements.

Accommodations and Policies

Close Captioning is available for live webinars and recorded video presentations.

You can click on the following links to view our policies:

• Accommodations for Individuals with Disabilities.
• Cancellation Policy
• Grievance Policy
• Support Options
• Disclosure Statement