The short answer
Individual supervision is one-on-one depth: your cases, your development, undivided attention. Group supervision is breadth: learning from a room of peers' cases at a lower cost. Most Hawaii candidates use both, within their license's format rules.
What each format does best
Individual supervision is where your hardest cases get full attention, where feedback can be candid, and where your specific growth edges are worked on deliberately. It is also where the supervisory relationship deepens enough for your supervisor to genuinely vouch for your readiness.
Group supervision multiplies exposure. In a group of up to six, you absorb the clinical reasoning behind five other caseloads, watch how peers handle ethical gray zones, and practice presenting cases, a professional skill in its own right. Per hour, it also costs less.
What Hawaiʻi allows, by license
| --- | --- |
| LMFT | 200 total hours; at least 100 with an experienced LMFT |
| LCSW | At least 60 of 100 hours individual; group capped at 40 hours, groups of 6 or fewer |
The details live in the full requirement guides: LMHC, LMFT, LCSW.
Blending them well
A rhythm most candidates sustain: individual sessions as the monthly anchor, group sessions for breadth and pace. Two practical notes from running hundreds of these sessions:
- Bring your hardest material to individual sessions and your most instructive material to group. The formats reward different things.
- Watch your ratio as you go, especially for LCSW. Discovering at hour 90 that you are over the group cap is a scheduling emergency.
How it works at ICS
Island Clinical Supervision memberships include both formats: individual sessions with your matched supervisor, and group sessions open across your licensure track, capped at six participants. Your dashboard keeps the running count of each so the ratio is never a surprise.
Common questions
Is group supervision as valuable as individual?+
They are valuable for different things. Individual gives your cases depth and full attention; group gives breadth across many caseloads and costs less per hour. Most candidates deliberately use both.
How large can a supervision group be in Hawaii?+
For LCSW candidates, groups must be six or fewer to count. ICS caps all groups at six.
Can I do all my supervision in a group?+
LMHC candidates could, since Hawaii sets no ratio for them. LCSW candidates cannot: at least 60 of their 100 hours must be individual.
Working toward licensure in Hawaiʻi?
Island Clinical Supervision pairs you with a licensed supervisor, tracks every hour, and handles the logistics, so your energy goes to the clinical work.
See supervision options