The Clinical Supervisor's Seat: Power, Ethics, and Burnout in Modern Therapy

What makes a clinical supervisor effective and what happens when the relationship fails to support growth? In this episode of Highly Therapized, host Jenny Petersen is joined by Dr. Ezra Lockhart, a seasoned supervisor, educator, and therapist, to unpack the ethical, personal, and systemic complexities of supervision in modern therapy spaces.

Together, they explore:

• What ethical and legal responsibilities supervisors hold
• The impact of personal challenges on clinical work
• Burnout, moral injury, and the realities of corporate therapy settings
• Supervision in the digital age (e.g., social media and TikTok dilemmas)
• How Haley’s Strategic Model and legal literacy enhance supervision

Whether you're a clinical trainee or associate therapist, a licensed supervisor, or someone navigating therapy work in today's changing landscape, this episode offers invaluable insight.

Guest Info: Connect with Dr. Lockhart

🌐 Books: https://easydoesitcounseling.com/books/

• Amazon Books https://www.amazon.com/stores/Dr.-Ezra-N.-S.-Lockhart/author/B0D2VCH8FZ?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=8c9ed083-3adb-4b98-a69d-f6d10437bdb4

⛓ Publication Links: https://easydoesitcounseling.com/meet-the-founder/

• Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=8SDzaLQAAAAJ
• Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4435-9053

🔗 LinkedIn: Ezra Lockhart, Ph.D., LMFT, LAC, ACS, CDCS, MAC, ACAS https://www.linkedin.com/in/ezralockhart/

🏢 Business: Easy Does It Counseling https://easydoesitcounseling.com/

• Dr. Lockhart is available for state licensure supervision in the following state: Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, & Louisiana. Reach out if you are looking for clinical supervision!

🟥 YouTube: @easydoesitcounseling https://www.youtube.com/@easydoesitcounseling

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

Mentorship and Clinical Supervision Through Haley's Strategic Model: A Composite Case Study in Legal Literacy https://guilfordjournals.com/doi/10.1521/jsyt.2024.43.3.01

How to Avoid Burnout and Find Joy in Corporatized Care Settings https://www.psychotherapy.net/article/how-to-avoid-burnout-in-coporatized-care-settings

In this episode of Highly Therapized, I speak with Amberly Potter, LMFT, about her personal and professional journey through addiction, undiagnosed bipolar II disorder, and the path to renewal. Amberly vulnerably shares what it was like to navigate early trauma, substance use, motherhood, and mental illness—all while building a career as a therapist.

We discuss:

* The hidden struggles Amberly faced during grad school and early clinical work

* Living with untreated bipolar II disorder and the impact on identity, work, and relationships

* The normalization of burnout and perfectionism in the mental health field

* Amberly’s experience with hospitalizations and hitting multiple “rock bottoms”

* Navigating ethical fears and stigma as a therapist with a dual identity: healer and patient

* What real recovery, spirituality, and professional redemption look like

* How she reclaimed her story and her life on her own terms

This is a must-listen for clinicians, students, and anyone who wants an honest look at what it means to fall apart and put yourself back together in a system that often expects you to hide the mess.

Guest Info:

Connect with Amberly Potter, LMFT

🌐 Blog: Soul Centered Recovery: https://amberlypotter.substack.com

📸 Instagram: soulcentered_recovery: https://www.instagram.com/soulcentered_recovery/

🔗 LinkedIn: Amberly (Amero) Potter, LMFT: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amberly-potter-lmft-a32a60283/

Explore resources mentioned in this episode:

The Recovery Blueprint for Professionals: A Step-by-Step Guide for Lasting Sobriety: https://app.typeset.com/play/DYJV6N

#MentalHealth #BipolarDisorder #SubstanceUseRecovery #AddictionRecovery #TherapistBurnout #LivedExperience #TherapyJourney #MentalHealthPodcast #HealingNarratives #BipolarII #WomenInRecovery #TherapistLife #AddictionAwareness #BehindTheCouch #BipolarAwareness