Jason’s Supervision Story

Q: What prompted you to reach out to Justine as an "outside" supervisor? 

A: I initially reached out to Justine because I was looking for supervision from someone knowledgeable about complicated relationships with substances and who shared a harm reduction perspective. I valued her ability to approach substance use without judgment while considering the larger personal and relational context.

Q: What was your experience of your work together? 

A: My experience working with Justine was thoughtful, supportive, and genuinely helpful. She provided both practical support for my clinical work and a space to explore my own experiences as a therapist.

I especially valued incorporating IFS and parts work into our conversations, which helped me better understand my own reactions and challenged me to examine some of my own biases and clinical lens. This was particularly meaningful during a year when I was also navigating significant personal loss and grief.

Justine also supported me as I thought through different career paths, including agency work, group practice, and eventually starting my own practice, offering practical and thoughtful feedback along the way. The combination of clinical guidance, self-of-the-therapist work, and career support made our supervision feel especially unique.

Q: How did your work together impact you?

A: Working with Justine empowered me to trust myself more fully as a therapist and to embrace my own unique way of practicing. She helped me move away from the idea that I needed to be a “perfect” or “blank slate” therapist and gave me permission to bring my full humanity into the work.

I became more comfortable being curious about my own reactions, perspectives, and biases while also trusting my clinical judgment. That has had a lasting impact on how I show up with my clients and as a therapist.

Q: Anything else you would like to share with a prospective supervisee?

A: If you are looking for supervision that goes beyond simply talking about diagnoses, treatment plans, and clinical questions, I would highly recommend working with Justine. She creates space for you to be fully human while also challenging you to grow as a clinician.

I especially appreciated that she trusted me to develop my own clinical identity rather than trying to shape me into a particular kind of therapist. I left our work together feeling more confident, empowered, and grounded in who I am as a clinician.