Clinical Supervision

Clinical supervision was defined by the Department of Health as 'a formal process of professional support and learning which enables individual practitioners to develop knowledge and competence` through their working life.

As I am accredited with BACP in the UK - I participate also in monthly supervision. every month which I see clients and submit this to continue accreditation every year.

Supervision helps us to see our own blind spots. This can be useful within our work with clients - working through transference and counter transference.

It helps us to give the best to our clients, not get stuck in our own patterns and keep up with good ethical practice.

It can safe guard the work, the more aware we become the more we can remain present and clear and not react from our unconscious.

The primary purpose of supervision is to ensure that the therapist is addressing the needs of the client and holding the practitioner, themselves in their work, staying in a good place, even in the face of uncomfortable, tough challenges.

Supervision is a formal and collaborative process, educational and enriching our practice.

The roles of the supervisor and supervisee should be clearly outlined in a supervision contract agreed together and based on what the therapist needs.

Going deeper into the process & relationship

We can explore transference and counter transference together. We also can work through our blind spots and what is in our shadow which can have an effect in the process. Exploring the unconscious and bringing it into our awareness, so that we see and understand our stance and dance with out clients and others more clearly. Working through patterns of relating - do we go into colluding, or being combative when the going gets tough, or can we stay in collaboration when it gets hot.

Exploring our triggers which arise in the process, seeing our patterns show up in the relationship. Looking at strategies for dealing with difficult situations, or challenging relating patterns. Learning to be with clients unconditionally, no matter what comes up, how they act out, or what our judgements are, but staying clear with the boundaries and respect. Teaching others how we want to be treated - the therapy can mirror the outside world. Dealing with resistant clients, disordered clients, clients who have suffered trauma and get stuck……….. going deeper in the relationship, exploring patterns from the past relationships and seeing how they show up in every client interaction differently……... There is so much, this just touches on a little.

Aims & Objectives

• Supervision allows for the developing of further skills, understanding, & professional identity of the supervisee through exploration & reflection on the supervisee’s work with clients.

• Supervision enables us to debrief and deal with emotional effects of the therapeutic work through containment and affirmation.

• Supervision provides the quality assurance aspect of supervision where the supervisor helps the counsellor to ensure that the needs of the client are being addressed within clearly defined standards of ethical and professional practice

• To create a space to explore and express personal distress brought up by our work with clients - this helps us to see our blind spots.

• To plan and utilise personal and professional resources.

• Clinical supervision is a practice-focused professional working relationship involving a practitioner reflecting on practice, guided by a skilled supervisor.

• It`s a safe, respectful and professional place to address work related issues.