Supervision
What is Supervision?
The United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) states in their ethics and accreditation standards that “The protection of our clients from poor quality therapy depends on our commitment to continually monitor and improve our skills and abilities, and to learn from others. It is important to be open to, and conscientious in considering, feedback from colleagues, appraisals and assessments. Responding constructively to feedback helps to advance practice”.
As therapists, the needs of the client are paramount. It can sometimes be difficult to ensure that we meet this challenge as therapists if we lose track of the influence we ourselves may have on our clients.
Supervision is about providing you as a therapist with the time and space to explore in depth your skills and beliefs about your therapy or counselling work. In so doing, this provides an opportunity for a a second opinion on your case load, and a chance to receive advice and support from an alternative point of view.
Choosing the right supervisor for you
The supervisory relationship is just as deeply founded in mutual trust and confidentiality as is the therapeutic and counselling relationship. It's essential therefore, that your choice of supervisor is someone who is able to add to and complement your practice of psychotherapy and counselling.
It helps before approaching a potential supervisor, to clarify what it is you want from the relationship. Before you call me, try writing down a few of the issues that you want to address in supervision. You might also add some of things that you feel are a barrier to your learning. You may even choose to add some things that would help you to learn effectively. That will give us the basis on which we can then design a supervisory programme that fits your personality and style.
Starting Supervision
In the first session, we will discuss a number of issues including, the type of clients with whom you work, your view of how you work, and what your needs from and expectations of supervision ?
Various people may have an influence on your work. With that in mind, we’ll look at the influence and importance of people like your employer, your manager and your professional organisation. You may of course be working in private practice. In that situation, we’ll explore how you manage your work on your own.
We’ll also make arrangements to review our progress at regular intervals, to ensure that your needs and goals are being met and to make sure that you are being both challenged and supported effectively.
Group Supervision
As well as offering personal supervision services, I also run supervision groups in which a small number of therapists who share a common therapeutic style, come together to discuss their caseload in a mutually supportive environment.
Next Steps
If you'd like to talk about working together, either on a one-to-one basis or as part of one of my supervision groups, then please just contact me, so that we can explore the possibilities of how we might work together.
