Supervisor training for psychologists

This self-study online program provides participants with comprehensive coverage of the knowledge necessary for practising as a supervisor. This includes defining supervision and its purpose, models of supervision, supervisor competencies and requirements, evaluation in supervision, the PsyBA pathways and supervisory requirements, the National Psychology Exam and legal and ethical issues relevant to supervision.

The full content of this component is expected to take at least seven hours to complete. Short quizzes enable participants to assess their learning and be directed to areas needing revision.

A multiple choice test assesses your mastery of this fundamental knowledge; successful completion of this enables you to register for the next component.

The workshop involves face-to-face training, conducted in small groups, over two full consecutive days. Conducted by Deakin staff experienced in the training of supervisors, the workshop focuses on the development best-practice skills in supervision.

Discussions, small group exercises and other activities will build participants' competency in the delivery of high-quality supervision. Refreshments and a light lunch will be provided. Workshops are offered four times per year, subject to sufficient numbers.

Please note: Evidence of successful completion of a board-approved knowledge training component is required prior to commencement of the skills training workshop.

Workshop locations

Workshops may be offered at Deakin University's campuses in Victoria, according to demand:

• Melbourne Burwood Campus
• Melbourne City Centre
• Geelong Waterfront Campus
• Warrnambool Campus.

We look forward to offering workshops in further regional Victoria centres and other states in the future.

In this third component, participants submit a video of their supervision practice, together with a self-reflective analysis of the session. Examiners will provide participants with a competency-based assessment report. The video and reflective analysis must be submitted within 12 weeks of completion of the skills training workshop. Further details will be provided on enrolment.

Psychologists are eligible to enrol in the full training program if they are one (or more) of the following:

• a fully registered psychologist (of at least three years) who wishes to supervise colleagues and/or provisional psychologists undertaking the internship program.
• a psychologist who has held an area of practice endorsement for at least two years and who wishes to supervise provisional psychologists undertaking postgraduate professional training (Masters, DPsych, Master/PhD) and/or registrars seeking an area of practice endorsement.

Dr Helen Mildred has been a registered psychologist for over 28 years and is endorsed in the practice area of clinical psychology. She has held a collaborative appointment between Eastern Health Mental Health Service and Deakin University School of Psychology for over 20 of these years.

Helen has provided clinical service and supervision in many Victorian health settings, as well as private practice. She's taught into postgraduate psychology courses and supervised numerous psychologists and provisional psychologists in their clinical practice. She's also trained psychologists and other health professionals in clinical theory and skill development, including in the area of clinical supervision, and undertaken and supervised applied research into children and young people’s mental health.

In 2013 Helen co-developed the AHPRA-approved Deakin University Psychology Supervisor Training Program. Through this highly successful and appraised program, she's trained hundreds of psychologists working across the wide breadth of service sectors, including but not limited to: mental health, health, child protection, forensic, organisational and educational settings.

Dr Rebecca Diehm is a clinical psychologist. She has worked as a lecturer and trainer of provisional psychologists for 11 years in the tertiary sector and had a role as clinical placement coordinator.

Rebecca has wide ranging experience in teaching, assessment, and the development of curriculum and resources for training of clinical assessment and postgraduate psychology units. She has a strong focus on teaching students in accordance with quality assurance principles and accreditation guidelines, and the use of competency-based skill development and assessment.

Rebecca has previously undertaken a research project while completing her graduate certificate in higher education on best practice assessment of clinical competencies in the postgraduate clinical psychology setting. She has also supervised higher degree students on placement, clinical registrars and 5+1 interns. Her research interests include secondary traumatic stress, vicarious trauma and burnout.

Dr Megan Turner has been an endorsed clinical psychologist for 20 years. She specialises in child, adolescent and family psychology. Across her career, Megan has worked within a number of mental health service settings, including schools, university clinics, public mental health, and private practice.

Megan’s current roles at Deakin are Senior Lecturer and Research Fellow. Her research interests are in the area of mental health interventions and sustainable health. Her teaching role is primarily within the postgraduate clinical psychology program, and as part of this she has supervised many provisional psychologists across a number of placement settings. Megan has also held senior clinical roles that involve supervision of registrars and junior staff, and she brings this breadth of experience and knowledge to the Deakin University Psychology Supervisor Training Program.

Associate Professor Kaye Frankcom is a highly accomplished businesswoman and leader in the health sector. She is also a Fellow of the Australian Psychological Society (APS). Kaye is an endorsed clinical and counselling psychologist, consultant and business coach to psychologists, in-demand speaker and trainer, and has held national roles in psychology regulation and professional standards.

Kaye built a successful group psychology practice in Williamstown, Victoria which she sold in 2018. She is also the lead author of Fit for Practice: Everything you wanted to know about starting your own psychology practice in Australia but were afraid to ask (2016) and more recently Creating Impact: The four pillars of private psychology practice (2022).

Kaye is a board-approved supervisor and was the foundational trainer for the supervisor training program at the APS Institute. She has conducted supervisor training master classes on a range of topics over the last 10 years. She has also supervised many psychologists, social workers, and family therapists over her 35 years of registration as a psychologist.

Dr Tracy Garvin is an endorsed clinical psychologist and board-approved supervisor with over 20 years of clinical experience in direct psychological assessment and treatment, as well as clinical supervision. Over her professional career she has held roles in tertiary mental health, primary mental health, private practice and within the higher education sector.

Tracy has supervised many provisional psychologists on placements and internships, clinical registrars, and provided schema therapy informed supervision to those wanting to learn more about schema therapy or using schema therapy in their practice. Tracy has undertaken placement coordination and unit chairing in the higher education sector with a strong interest in workforce development in the field of psychology. Through these roles she has been responsible for developing and presenting a huge number of seminars and workshops to postgraduate students and colleagues.

Professor Jane McGillivray is a registered psychologist with endorsement as a clinical and a health psychologist. She has well-established professional and community links and longstanding practice, teaching and research experience in mental health and wellbeing; in program evaluation and in the training of psychology students and psychologists. Jane has played a key role in the development of a range of training resources designed to ensure that learners have access to authentic learning experiences that are aligned with real-world practice. These resources have been recognised through a variety of healthcare and higher education awards.

As Head of the School of Psychology at Deakin, Jane has overall administrative responsibility for the development, accreditation and conduct of our four postgraduate psychology programs: Doctor of Psychology (Clinical), Master of Psychology (Clinical), Master of Psychology (Organisational), and Master of Professional Psychology. She is approved by the Psychology Board as a supervisor of provisional psychologists and higher degree pathways, including the registrar program leading to area of practice endorsement (Clinical and Health). In addition, she remains active in the provision of peer support and supervision.

Endorsed area of practice, Clinical and Health Psychology.

Read Dr Sheen's profile