Supervision Requirements for Practicing Members

Professional supervision provides an opportunity to reflect on, and receive feedback on therapeutic work for the purpose of professional growth and accountability. Supervision is a contractual, collaborative process which monitors, develops and supports supervisees in their professional role/s. In professional supervision, the central focus is on both the optimum outcome for the client and the professional development and self-care of the supervisee.  The process of professional supervision is seen to encompass a number of significant components, including a formal agreement between supervisor and supervisee. It is an opportunity for the supervisee to present relevant material regarding their professional practice via case discussion, recordings of client sessions, role plays, etc., allowing a space for reflective review by the supervisee and feedback by the supervisor. The supervisory relationship and process of supervision are congruent with the developmental needs of the supervisee (adapted from PACFA, 2017).

The supervisor is generally seen to have more experience than the supervisee with regard to professional seniority, skill development and possibly within a particular specialty. It is important that supervisors have relevant qualifications and experience to provide effective supervision.

DTAA requirements

To address membership requirements for the DTAA, Associate, Provisional Professional  and Professional Members are expected to engage in regular and ongoing clinical supervision with a professional practitioner.  An appropriate supervisor is described below:

Examples of appropriate supervisors for practicing members

• a Professional or Clinical Supervisor Member of the DTAA
• a professional person experienced in the therapeutic application of dance
• a professional person who can extend the knowledge and expertise of the therapist
• a professional person who has strong skills and knowledge of the client population

Examples of appropriate supervisors for Trainees and new Graduates from DMT training programs

• a Professional or Clinical Supervisor Member of the DTAA

Both group and individual supervision are acceptable. Ideally there should be an appropriate balance between individual and group supervision, however the DTAA offers no specific guideline or ratio.  Group supervision shall have no more than 6 members in the group, plus the supervisor.

Peer group supervision of groups with six or less members is acceptable ONLY for Professional and Clinical Supervisor members.

Supervision is a time for honest and open inquiry into one’s practice in an accepting and non-judgmental environment.  There are many topics the supervisee may choose to discuss, and some example topics are offered below:

Examples of issues for supervision

• the therapist’s ability to assess, evaluate, and document the client’s current state and needs (physical, emotional, psychological)
• the therapist’s interpersonal skills, including the ability to work collaboratively with other professionals
• the therapist’s appropriate use of the materials of dance in any given dance movement therapy situation
• the therapist’s ability to develop and implement progressive dance movement therapy programs
• the therapist’s ability to evaluate the DMT program and modify it accordingly

Practicing members are responsible for seeking out supervision relevant to their own professional development. DTAA has accredited a number of its members, each working within their own area of expertise.  The Clinical Supervisor page offers a comprehensive listing of accredited supervisors.

Reporting supervision

At renewal time each year, practicing members will be asked to report the following information:

• approximate number of client contact hours worked during the reporting period (renewal year)
• number of hours of appropriate supervision received during the reporting period

This information is to be recorded on the downloadable SUPERVISION REPORTING FORM 2023 and uploaded at the time of renewal.

Yearly supervision requirements are as follows:

• Professional and Clinical Supervisor members working more than 100 hours per year:
  • 10 hours total of clinical supervision per year (peer, group or individual)
  • supervisor does not need to be a DMT, but needs to have relevance to the focus of your practice or population

• Professional and Clinical members working less than 100 hours per year
  • 3 hours of clinical supervision (group or individual) for 60 to 100 hours
  • 2 hour of clinical supervision (group or individual) for 30 to 60 hours
  • 1 hour of clinical supervision (preferably individual) for 1 to 30 hours

• Associate and Provisional Professional members working any number of hours per year:
  • 1 hour of clinical supervision (group or individual) per 10 hours of professional practice.
    1. Group supervision will have no more than 6 members in the group.
    2. For groups of 1-3 members, one hour of supervision will count as one hour for the DTAA
    3. For groups of 4-6 members, two hours of supervision will count as one hour for the DTAA
  • Supervision is with a DMT Professional or Clinical Supervisor or the equivalent.  All supervisors must have a minimum of five years of professional practice