ACS Managing Boundaries & Power Dynamics 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A supervisee invites their clinical supervisor to connect on a personal social media platform. What is the BEST supervisor response?
- Accept to maintain rapport with the supervisee
- Decline and explain the professional boundary rationale (Correct answer)
- Ignore the request without comment
- Accept only if they limit profile visibility
Correct answer: Decline and explain the professional boundary rationale
Supervisors should decline personal social media connections and use the moment to educate about professional boundaries.
Question 2: Which scenario BEST illustrates role boundary confusion in clinical supervision?
- Supervisor assigns readings from a textbook
- Supervisee shares personal trauma that becomes the ongoing focus of supervision sessions (Correct answer)
- Supervisor gives direct feedback on a case note
- Supervisee asks for clarification on a diagnosis
Correct answer: Supervisee shares personal trauma that becomes the ongoing focus of supervision sessions
When supervision consistently focuses on the supervisee's personal issues rather than clinical work, supervision has shifted into a therapy role.
Question 3: A supervisor notices they feel personally attracted to a supervisee. The MOST ethical immediate action is to:
- Transfer the supervisee to another supervisor without explanation
- Continue supervision while monitoring feelings carefully
- Consult with a trusted colleague or seek personal supervision (Correct answer)
- Disclose the attraction to maintain transparency
Correct answer: Consult with a trusted colleague or seek personal supervision
Seeking consultation or personal supervision is the ethical step that protects both parties while addressing the supervisor's countertransference.
Question 4: Power differentials in supervision are MOST problematic when:
- The supervisor evaluates the supervisee's work
- The supervisee fears honest disclosure due to evaluation stakes (Correct answer)
- The supervisor has more clinical experience
- The supervisee is newer to the profession
Correct answer: The supervisee fears honest disclosure due to evaluation stakes
The supervisory relationship becomes problematic when power imbalance silences the supervisee and prevents honest clinical disclosure.
Question 5: A supervisee gifts the supervisor an expensive item at the end of the supervisory relationship. The supervisor should:
- Accept it graciously as the relationship has ended
- Decline and briefly explain that accepting gifts is outside professional norms (Correct answer)
- Accept if the item is under $25 in value
- Ask the supervisee to donate the equivalent amount to charity instead
Correct answer: Decline and briefly explain that accepting gifts is outside professional norms
Gifts can reinforce transference dynamics and blur professional limits even at relationship termination, so they should be declined with a brief explanation.
Question 6: A supervisee discloses they are in a personal relationship with one of their clients. The supervisor's FIRST obligation is to:
- Terminate supervision immediately
- Ensure client safety and welfare by addressing the ethical violation directly (Correct answer)
- Report the supervisee to the licensing board without discussion
- Explore whether the relationship predated therapy
Correct answer: Ensure client safety and welfare by addressing the ethical violation directly
Client welfare is the primary concern; the supervisor must address the ethical violation immediately and take steps to protect the client.
Question 7: Which supervisory approach BEST mitigates power imbalance while maintaining appropriate authority?
- Avoiding all evaluative feedback to reduce hierarchy
- Collaboratively establishing a supervision contract that clarifies roles and expectations (Correct answer)
- Allowing the supervisee to set all supervision goals independently
- Treating the supervisee as a peer colleague
Correct answer: Collaboratively establishing a supervision contract that clarifies roles and expectations
A collaborative supervision contract transparently structures power while preserving the supervisor's accountability responsibilities.
ACS Managing Boundaries & Power Dynamics 2
A supervisee invites their clinical supervisor to connect on a personal social media platform.
What is the BEST supervisor response?