Supervision

I favour an integrative model of supervision, the main aim of which is to encourage the development of a supervisee's knowledge, confidence, competence and creativity and to support the supervisee in applying their skills in the professional setting. This is achieved by providing a supportive, safe and validating space with agreed boundaries through which a supervisee's thoughts and feelings may be explored and by which they are encouraged to identify their own strengths and areas of growth.

In on going supervision I recognise the importance of style and content to suit a supervisee’s own stage of professional development and learning.

I believe it helps to be able to consider some of the following areas:

* Contracts with clients and assessment. Initial and ongoing importance of boundaries.
* Exploring the content of clinical material and thinking about different responses or interventions from the perspectives of client and supervisee.
* Understanding the conscious and unconscious processes of the counselling relationship from particular or different theoretical models.
* Understanding the client's world and to be able to frame this understanding in the context of clinical diagnosis, the recognition and understanding of counter-transference, developing empathy and trial identification with the client.
* Parallel process ie using the relationship between supervisor and supervisee as a parallel insight as to the process between supervisee and client.
* To encourage the development in the ability to listen.
* For a supervisee working in an organisation, to consider the impact of any conflict of interests or roles as may arise within the counselling setting.
* To explore any particular areas of interest or issues a supervisee wishes to bring to supervision such as silences, confidentiality, gender, abuse, ethics etc. [Top of page]

For the supervisor to:

* Consider the boundaries/frame of the counselling setting e.g. place, time, contract, confidentiality, payment, organisational context etc., and to consider with the supervisee how these issues impact on practice. Discuss the boundaries of confidentiality viz- a- viz the supervisor’s supervision.
* Clarify the nature of responsibilities, communication and confidentiality with any training course, placement or organisation in order to maintain professional standards and safety. In addition, to make clear any responsibilities to comment on the supervisee’s work and how this will be done.
* Encourage the exploration and meaning of 'difference' as it arises in areas such as race, culture, gender and ability.
* Monitor the supervisee’s safe working practice within an agreed code of ethics for counsellors.
* Adhere to professional standards as set out in an agreed code of practice for supervisors such as B.A.C.P. or U.K.C.P.

For the supervisee to:-
* Prepare for supervision. To think about which clients and aspects of clinical practice they may wish to bring and to minimise possible identifiable material.
* To prioritise clients and to consider reasons for choosing (a worry about bringing a particular client may indicate a very good reason for bringing them!) [Top of page]