W Brad Johnson, “Transformational Supervision: When Supervisors Mentor”

This article suggests that supervision and mentoring are distinct and related, and potentially complementary in many respects. It does so within the context of academic settings within psychology.

Bernard and Goodyear (2004) defined supervision as:

“an intervention provided by a more senior member of a profession to a more junior member or members of that same profession. This relationship is evaluative, extends over time, and has the simultaneous purpose of enhancing the professional functioning of the more junior person, monitoring the quality of professional services offered to the client . . . and serving as a gatekeeper of those who are to enter the particular profession.” (p. 8)

On the other hand, mentoring is defined as:

“a personal and reciprocal relationship in which a more experienced faculty member [or clinical supervisor] acts as a guide, role model, teacher, and sponsor of a less experienced student [or supervisee]. A mentor provides the protége ́ with knowledge, advice, counsel, challenge, and support in the prote ́ge ́’s pursuit of becoming a full member of a particular profession.” (Johnson, 2006, p. 20)

Generally speaking, supervision and mentorship are distinguished by way of their functions. Mentors play a more psychosocial function characterised by greater reciprocity, trust, mutual validation, and comprehension. On the other hand, supervisors have a more technical function by way of technical career assistance.

“As an advising or supervising relationship evolves into a more active and reciprocal relationship, when the supervisor begins to offer a range of both career and emotional or psychosocial functions, and as the supervisor becomes more intentional about bolstering the supervisee’s professional development and success, the supervisory assignment evolves to take on more of the characteristics of a mentorship.” (Johnson, 2006, 261)

Notably, supervising and mentoring are not synonymous: one can be a supervisor and not a mentor and vice versa. The best supervisors seek to develop and support the supervisee’s professional and personal development. That overlap between supervision and mentorship will lead to better outcomes for trainees.

W Brad Johnson, “Transformational Supervision: When Supervisors Mentor” (2007) 38:3 Professional Psychology: Research Practice 259.