Clinical Supervision as a Sewing Machine

I’ve been learning to sew for about 2 years now, and have become OBSESSED. I wanted to share how I view clinical supervision, with a unique metaphor.

Clinical supervision is like the inner mechanics of a sewing machine. On the surface, the therapist and client are engaged in the visible work — the fabric being stitched, the conversation unfolding. But beneath that surface, supervision operates like the bobbin and feed dogs — subtle, steady, and essential to keeping everything aligned.

The therapist is the needle, the client is the thread — the fabric, their life. Together, the needle and thread create the work of sewing.

But what allows those stitches to actually hold? What keeps the needle from jamming, the thread from tangling, or the fabric from bunching and tearing?

That’s the supervision — the internal mechanics of the machine that often go unseen but are completely essential. Supervision helps adjust the thread tension, realign the thread path, and keep the entire process grounded in intention and care. It provides perspective, guidance, and often a pause to reflect when something just isn’t working quite right.

Ultimately, supervision doesn’t do the stitching — the therapist does. But it ensures the therapist can work skillfully, sustainably, and with clarity, so the final fabric woven together by therapist and client holds together with strength.