Supervision of Supervision in Vancouver

Turning supervision into a world-building practice

You love this work. You love teaching it, passing it on, co-creating with the people you support, watching someone find their own way into being a therapist. Stepping into supervising others feels like a natural widening of your work, and you’re excited for it. What you want to make sure of, before you build a whole supervisory practice, is that you get to do it your way, without replicating the hierarchical, extractive academic model most of us came up through; a model where the person with the credential held the knowledge and everyone else had to perform for it.

Supervision of supervision with an anti-oppressive lens centers dismantling these power differentials inherent in the work. Becoming an Approved Clinical Supervisor comes with hours and paperwork, and we’ll get to those. But the part that actually matters is what kind of supervisor you become, and whether the framework you build is one you can genuinely stand behind.

What changes if you were to think of supervision as world-building, and supervision of supervision as world-building one turn further out?

Therapy, and supervision one level out, is a chance to shift the social contracts of what it means to be with one another. When you change how you support a supervisee, they change how they support their clients, and that ripples outward changing the “normal” of the world. Supervision lets us live in the imagination of a more just future, right here, in the now, while planting seeds for it to proliferate into contexts we might never even hear about.

You’re not just learning to supervise well; you’re building the world you want to live within. How you choose to hold power, difference, and context travels. And it matters.

Instead of handing you a framework to install and perform, let’s ask the questions that helps you build a supervisory practice that creates your own version of world-building; a version of world-building supervision that you actually want to stand behind.

Book your free supervision Consult →

What anti-oppressive supervision of supervision actually asks

Most supervision of supervision stays with the competencies; can you structure a session, give feedback that lands, evaluate someone fairly. Those are important too, and we’ll tend to them. But anti-oppressive supervision of supervision asks you to sit with more than that:

How will you hold the power of the supervisory role so you don’t hand down the harm so many of us absorbed during our training? How will you supervise across difference, when your supervisee’s identity and community and context aren’t yours, and how will you help them notice when they’re causing harm along those same lines without meaning to? How do you keep a supervisee’s material conditions and the systems they’re impacted by in mind, instead of training them to locate every problem inside the individual sitting across from them? Where did your own training socialize you into colonial, capitalist, pathologizing habits you don’t want to pass on, and what would it take to unlearn them alongside the people you supervise? And when you get it wrong, how will you model repair so supervisees also learn to stay accountable?

BCACC Requirements for the Approved Clinical Supervisor Designation

For the current Regular Pathway to the ACS designation, the supervision-of-supervision component asks you to receive:

  • A minimum of 18 hours of supervision of supervision from a qualified Supervisor of Supervision, across the same 12 to 24 month period in which you provide your 100 hours of clinical supervision.
  • At least 12 of those 18 hours individual; up to 6 may be paired. Group supervision of supervision is not accepted for this requirement.
  • Direct and indirect supervision of supervision in roughly equal ratio, with at least 9 hours direct.


These requirements change, so please  do confirm the current criteria on the BCACC ACS eligibility page before you map out your hours.

Shifting supervision from a gatekeeping practice to a world-building one.

Let’s grow the field we actually want to practice in.

Let’s just call it what it is

For a lot of anti-oppressive counsellors, the new supervision-of-supervision requirement feels like the therapy world’s own version of a pyramid scheme, and I don’t disagree! Credentialing requirements rarely address the bias of who gets to be in this work, and they can become a barrier to exactly the people already best positioned to be the guides we need. 

I also believe supervision can be a practice of organizing: a place where we support each other to embody the ethics we hold dear and build the capacity and systems that sustain us all. It doesn’t have to be a credential passed down from someone with authority to someone without it. It can be mutual aid; a widening web of folx you trust, collaborate with, and refer to; people who hold you accountable when you need it and step in when you need to step back. So my question for you, since we can’t escape the requirement anyway, is what you want to make out of it. I say, let’s make some magic out of this dumpster fire!

Book your free supervision Consult →

Hey I’m Abby!

MA, RCC-ACS, PhD Candidate
(she/her)

I’m an avid explorer of wonder and possibility, aspirational human database for systemic awareness, co-creator with the magic that still manages to survive in this dumpster fire world, lover of all things with faces that probably shouldn’t have faces on it & cat-reel aficionado. 

I navigate the world as a cisqueer, working-turned-middle class, half-gen, currently non-disabled, straight-sized settler from Hong Kong who lives with chronic pain and ADHD. My ancestors come from roots in Chaozhou and Nanjing, and a lineage of creating sneaky practices to survive necropolitics, poverty, and refugeeism. Learn more about my work here.

Client love

Thoughts from your fellow practitioners

Hear what your fellow therapists are saying about their experience with the Happening Project, anti-oppressive clinical supervision, and business consulting supports. 

Working with Abby has been profoundly empowering. She has walked with me through some of the hardest, most vulnerable moments of my career, helping me feel less alone. Abby holds an extraordinary capacity for nuance, balancing curiosity and compassion with accountability, while inviting you to dream boldly about liberatory practices and what a new world could look like. With Abby, I have always felt seen and supported in the messiness of life and work. She can hold the weight of lived realities, helping me untangle doubt, grief, and uncertainty without ever losing sight of possibility. She has a rare ability to make space for big ideas and deep reflection while grounding them in real, practical next steps. Working with her has never been about just "feeling better", it's about gaining clarity, courage, and confidence to act in ways that truly align with who I want to be, both personally and professionally. Abby meets you exactly where you are, holding both the weight and potential of your life and work, and helps you see what's possible when you trust your own wisdom, and when you show up fully, honestly, and in alignment with your values.
Reena SamraBSW, MSW
Abby Chow is a brilliant therapist, instructor and supervisor. I have always appreciated Abby's sharp political analysis and the ways they position themselves at the intersections of struggle and in the context of meeting suffering others at the crossroads of power and oppression. Abby is a fabulous collaborator, and in our multiple solidarity connections Abby shoulders up others while inviting accountability and centering ethics in ways that promote the usefulness and meaningfulness of our dialogues and actions. Abby brings both moral courage and a widened and open lens to supervisory consultations, and amplifies both possibility and believed-in-hope.
Vikki ReynoldsPhD, Consultant, Facilitator and Supervisor
Abby is truly a remarkable leader who possesses a deep passion and dedication to creating a more just and equitable society. Her exceptional ability to articulate complex concepts and engage in meaningful conversations surrounding issues of discrimination, inequality, and systemic oppression is truly inspiring. Through her guidance, I have gained an abundance of valuable knowledge that has enriched my understanding and empowered me to be a catalyst for change. I wholeheartedly recommend Abby’s services to anyone seeking to make a real difference in the world of social justice.
Maria Grace WolkLMFT, Psychotherapist, Podcast Host
Abby brings a thoughtful, justice-focused perspective to frontline work. After inviting her to work with a group I support, the response was overwhelmingly positive, leading to further opportunities for her to connect with even more colleagues. I'm incredibly grateful for her contributions and look forward to continuing our work together.
Andrea BrysonClinical Director, IRLC
Abby's services and consultations have been excellent. Firstly, her technical understanding and knowledge when it comes to business creation and digital processes is second to none. It is evident to me that she absolutely loves her craft, and will work tirelessly to come up with solutions to your inquiries - that is if she doesn't already know it already. Lastly, and most importantly, Abby is a people person. She is incredibly easy to get along with and she disseminates complex information into digestible pieces for lay-persons such as myself to understand. She is patient, and will definitely go above and beyond to ensure that you're on the same page, and that every decision is fully informed by YOU. I highly recommend Abby for your business and digital consulting needs!
Will LeeMEd, RCC
Working with Abby has been a meaningful part of my professional development. She offers clear, thoughtful clinical insight and creates a collaborative space where I feel supported and understood. I trust her guidance both in case consultation and in navigating the practical side of running a counselling practice. Her wisdom and care consistently help me feel more confident in my work. I'm truly grateful for her support and the knowledge she brings to our work together.
Lissette MairenaMA, RCC
Building a new business can be overwhelming, but Abby's expertise and guidance made the process smooth and enjoyable. Abby's ability to understand my business goals and translate them into an engaging website was nothing short of remarkable. She's really good at breaking down intricate ideas into clear, digestible explanations, whether it's discussing technical aspects of a project or diving into nuanced discussions about our values. She isn't afraid to ask the hard questions, challenging us to critically examine our processes and decisions and think beyond the conventional norms. Her encouragement has been so invaluable.
Rachel WongLMFT
Abby's imaginative approach to design is evident in every project, whether it's creating a logo, developing a website, or conceptualizing a marketing campaign. What truly sets Abby apart is her remarkable ability to merge creativity with practicality. Her recommendations are not only aesthetically pleasing but also rooted in a deep understanding of the project's purpose.
Jake CaplandLMFT

In the media:

Click to access

  • Justice Fundamentals: Anti-Oppressive, Liberatory Practice Level 1 - 4
  • Leaning into Liberatory Practice: Bringing Love & Relationality back into therapy Summit 2024
  • Leaning into Liberatory Practice: How We Respond Summit 2026
  • Anti-blackness and anti-fatness: A 201 level teach in – Mary Senyonga
  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Immersion Program
  • Applied Polyvagal Theory in Yoga Level 1 + 2
  • Anti-blackness and anti-fatness: A 201 level teach in - Mary Senyonga
  • Building Capacity for Mutual Aid - Dean Spade, Barnard Center for Research on Women
  • Collaborative Teams: Creating Cultures of Accountability, Structuring Safety & Justice-Doing in Community Work
  • Complex Trauma Certification (CCTP/CCTP-II) - Janina Fischer
  • Critical Incident Stress Management
  • Embodied Conflict Resolution with Kai Cheng Thom
  • Emotion-Focused Family Therapy Core Training - Dr. Adele LeFrance
  • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Core Foundations
  • Expressive Arts Therapy: Creative Solutions for Trauma Recovery
  • Feminisms, Intersectionality and Narrative Practice - Dulwich Center
  • Foundations in Somatic Abolitionism - Education for Racial Equity, Resmaa Menakem
  • Free Up! Abolition & Transformative Justice Series - Rania El Mugammar + Guest Facilitators
  • Gottman Method Couples Therapy Level 1: Bridging the Couple Chasm
  • HSABC Learn + Connect Series on Homelessness
  • Indigenous gender diversity: creating culturally relevant and gender-affirming services - (PHSA)
  • Institute for Radical Permission - adrienne maree brown + Sonya Renee Taylor
  • Internal Family Systems: Clinical Applications
  • Narrative Therapy Foundations - Vancouver School of Narrative Therapy
  • Nonviolent Crisis Intervention
  • San'yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Training; Core ICS Mental Health - Provincial Health Services Authority
  • Sensorimotor Psychotherapy: Body Oriented Therapy Techniques for Trauma and Attachment
  • Supervision of Solidarity: Clinical Supervision Training, Vikki Reynolds, Dương Ocean Đặng
  • Sexualities, genders and narrative practice: A narrative therapy queer space - Dulwich Center
  • Taming the Hungry Ghosts: A Biopsychosocial Approach to Addictions
  • The Body Image Course: Helping Every Body find Peace with Food and Weight
  • Trauma and Resistance: Innovative Responses to Oppression, Violence, and Suffering
  • Violence Prevention & Intervention Training Program – Battered Women’s Support Services

Building Your Supervision Practice

Stepping into supervision also means running a supervision practice; the informed consent and professional disclosure statements, the contracts, the fees, the documentation, the ethics of holding a caseload of supervisees who are counting on you. Some of that we’ll touch inside supervision of supervision; but if you want further support building the business and structural side of a supervision or private practice, that’s its own body of work, and it’s what justice-oriented private practice business consulting is for. We can build it there.

And if you’re growing a practicum program alongside your designation, support building a practicum program at your practice tends to be the natural companion to this work; a lot of people want both, moving together.

Book your free supervision Consult →

How we work

FAQs for Anti-Oppressive Supervision of Supervision in Vancouver & Port Moody

Supervision of supervision is support for experienced clinicians who are becoming clinical supervisors themselves. As you work toward your Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS) designation with the BCACC, you receive supervision on your own supervision practice from a qualified Supervisor of Supervision. Anti-oppressive supervision of supervision goes further than checking competencies; it’s where you build a supervisory framework you can genuinely stand behind, one that holds power, difference, and context with care.

Under the BCACC’s current Regular Pathway, you need a minimum of 18 hours of supervision of supervision from a qualified Supervisor of Supervision, over the same 12 to 24 month period in which you provide your 100 hours of clinical supervision. At least 12 of those hours must be individual, direct and indirect in roughly equal ratio with at least 9 hours direct, and group supervision of supervision is not accepted for this requirement. Requirements change, so confirm the current criteria on the BCACC ACS eligibility page before mapping out your hours.

A qualified Supervisor of Supervision holds a supervisory designation such as the RCC-ACS, has at least five years of clinical supervision experience, and has completed the BCACC’s orientation for the role. I meet these requirements and offer supervision of supervision through an anti-oppressive lens.

The BCACC recommends comparing the goodness of fit between your philosophy of supervision, your clinical approach, and your interpersonal style before you contract with someone, and keeping one continuing Supervisor of Supervision across all your hours. Since this is a relationship you’ll be in for a year or more, it’s worth choosing someone whose approach genuinely matches yours, especially if your practice is justice-oriented.

Yes. Supervision of supervision is available virtually across British Columbia, and in person in Vancouver and Port Moody.

Cost varies by scope and format, and sliding scale is available. The best way to sort out fit and fees is to book a free 30-minute consultation.

In Summary

Working with an anti-oppressive supervisor of supervison in Vancouver and across BC

Anti-oppressive supervision of supervision at Venturous Counselling is for experienced Registered Clinical Counsellors pursuing the Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS) designation with the BCACC, offered in Vancouver and virtually across British Columbia. Rather than training you to supervise by the book, it helps you build a supervisory framework you can genuinely stand behind, one that holds power, difference, and context with care instead of replicating hierarchical academic models.

The BCACC Regular Pathway requires a minimum of 18 hours of supervision of supervision from a qualified Supervisor of Supervision, over the same 12 to 24 month period as your 100 clinical supervision hours (at least 12 individual, direct and indirect in roughly equal ratio, group not accepted). Requirements are set by the BCACC and can change; confirm current criteria on the BCACC eligibility page.

To talk through fit, book a free 30-minute consultation.

Anti-oppressive supervision of supervision is where the personal and the political meet inside your practice. These resources explore adjacent territory for practitioners doing this work.

Anti-oppressive supervision of supervision is where the personal and the political meet inside your practice. These articles work through what the framework actually looks like, on the page and in the room.

We are uninvited settlers

occupying the stolen, ancestral territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), S’ólh Téméxw (Stó:lō), Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh), Qayqayt, and kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem) peoples. Our relationship with these lands dictates our commitment to understanding and responding to the ongoing impacts of colonization in our practices in and out of the counselling room. 

Learn more about the land you’re occupying at native-land.ca