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In this episode, I sit down with Drs. Stephanie Nelson and Alison Wilkinson-Smith to address a persistent gap in the field of psychological assessment: the lack of a structured, evidence-based approach to supervision. We move beyond the traditional “osmosis” model of training to explore how supervisors can intentionally externalize their implicit expertise. Our conversation focuses on the SCOOP framework and the SWIRL model, providing a roadmap for navigating everything from case conceptualization to the emotional ruptures that occur when a supervisor and trainee reach a diagnostic stalemate. By integrating research on medical education and elite coaching with the core values of therapeutic assessment, Stephanie and Alison offer a comprehensive guide to becoming an attuned and effective supervisor.
Main Topics Discussed
- 01:37: The origin of the collaboration and the “mixed bag” of early career supervision.
- 08:17: The current state of supervision literature and the competency-based shift.
- 12:42: Navigating the transition from unconscious effectiveness to expert teaching.
- 15:53: Establishing emotional safety and the “nesting bowls” of clinical containment.
- 35:29: An overview of the SCOOP model for structuring supervision sessions.
- 40:50: Using the “First Crack” method to identify a trainee’s zone of proximal development.
- 54:22: Strategies for externalizing implicit clinical skills and avoiding the “master-apprentice” trap.
- 59:37: Resolving friction and diagnostic stalemates using the SWIRL framework.
Cool Things Mentioned
- Craft: the premier membership community for testing psychologists
- Crafted Practice: the only in-person business retreat for testing psychologists
- Reverb: the premier AI-powered report-writing platform for testing psychologists
- Stephanie & Alison’s upcoming workshop: https://www.level2psychconsult.com/supervision-and-mentorship-workshop
- Level 2 Psych Consult: https://www.level2psychconsult.com
- Essentials of Psychological Assessment Supervision (Jordan Wright): www.amazon.com/Essentials-Psychological-Assessment-Supervision-Essentials/dp/1119565507
- Supervision in Neuropsychology (Bowden, Stuckey, and Bush): www.amazon.com/Supervision-Neuropsychology-Clinical-Neuropsychology-Practice/dp/0199837775
- Therapeutic Assessment Institute: www.therapeuticassessment.com
Featured Resources
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About Dr. Stephanie Nelson
Dr. Stephanie Nelson is a pediatric neuropsychologist who specializes in complex differential diagnosis. She is board certified in both clinical neuropsychology and pediatric neuropsychology, and she is currently the president of the American Board of Pediatric Neuropsychology. She has a private practice in Seattle, WA. She also has a consultation practice called The Peer Consult, through which she provides consultation to psychologists and neuropsychologists who specialize in pediatric assessment.
Get in Touch
- Website: www.thepeerconsult.com
About Dr. Alison Wilkinson-Smith
Dr. Wilkinson-Smith is board certified in Clinical Neuropsychology and has a sub specialty certification in Pediatric Neuropsychology by ABPP. She is also certified in Therapeutic Assessment of children by the TA institute. She is a Professor of Psychiatry and practices clinical neuropsychology in an academic medical setting and in private practice. She offers professional consultation on pediatric psychological and neuropsychological assessment, and she specializes in therapeutic and collaborative assessment techniques, pediatric functional neurological disorders, and assessment of children living with medical and psychosocial complexity.
Get in Touch
- Website: level2psychconsult.com
- Private Practice Website: Nextlevelneuropsychology.com
About Dr. Jeremy Sharp
I’m a licensed psychologist and Clinical Director at the Colorado Center for Assessment & Counseling, a private practice that I founded in 2009 and have grown to over 20 clinicians. I earned my undergraduate degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of South Carolina before getting my Master’s and PhD in Counseling Psychology from Colorado State University. These days, I specialize in psychological and neuropsychological evaluation with kids and adolescents.
As the host of the Testing Psychologist Podcast, I provide private practice consulting for psychologists and other mental health professionals who want to start or grow psychological testing services in their practices. I live in Fort Collins, Colorado with my wife (also a therapist) and two young kids.
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