Welcome to the page that is dedicated to my work as a counselling supervisor.

Working as a Person Centred Supervisor

I trained with Linda Smith and Mike Worrell to obtain a postgraduate diploma in person-centred supervision. Since 2019, I’ve been supervising counsellors—both qualified and in training—as well as professionals working with people. My supervisory role facilitates a safe and creative space to explore any areas of someone’s professional work that they might like to bring.

The modality I practice complements my counseling approach, allowing me to take valuable experience from using this approach in a counseling context and apply it to creating a supervisory space that adapts to individual needs. Concepts such as empathy, congruence, and unconditional positive regard are all important factors. However, it's essential to empathise that this is a space not intended to manage, police, or control your work; you are a professional.

Supervision focuses more on your reactions to your professional work rather than on specific caseloads. The idea is that if someone’s reactions can be explored within a facilitative space, this will positively impact a professional’s ability to conduct their work with clients and co-workers. While specific caseloads may be explored from time to time, this is not a mandatory requirement. The best approach is to attune to what you would like to bring to supervision, and then we can explore what that might look like when working together. Below are some ways that people may want to use the space.

Understanding & Exploring

Supervision can be a valuable space for exploring areas that may be unknown or not yet encountered. It serves as an opportunity for individuals to discuss, get creative, and see where their contributions lead. This process is one of the most creative uses for supervision, often involving reflection, trialing ideas, and discovering more about the topic at hand

Experience

I’ve had the chance to work with a really diverse range of clients in different agency settings, like schools, counseling centers, and even in central government. I've worked with children, young people, and adults of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. I’ve also met clients from various cultures and languages, with different life experiences and beliefs. This mix of experiences often encourages others to ask about insights that can help them in their own work. Sharing these stories can really enrich someone’s process, and many people have used supervision to dive deeper into these topics.

Legal & Ethical Considerations

People may want to explore legal and ethical considerations that could impact their work. For example, a safeguarding procedure may apply in the context of working with a young person, influencing the counsellor's responsibilities in that process. In this scenario, supervision can be tailored to explore these factors in order to best serve the client.

Incorporating Theoretical Approaches

Supervision can involve applying theory related to both the work within and outside the supervisory relationship. Within this space, we can effectively bridge theory and practice, leading to a better understanding of what is involved and how to proceed. Some of the counseling supervision concepts that might be explored include.

My Own Experiences

What might be useful is describing some of the things I have taken from my own supervision and used as inspiration to embed in my supervisory practice.

• Supervision should be, by default, a creative, transformative space used to feel completely safe to share anything necessary to ensure the growth and development of your clients so that they can reach their full potential while working with you.
• Making mistakes is all part of a process called learning and embracing. It does not make you incapable or incompetent. Sharing makes you brave.
  A supervisor will never judge a supervisee for making mistakes any more than a bodybuilder will judge a newcomer to a gym for having the courage to put themselves out there. You're safe.
• Real supervision comes from genuine interactions.
• Tough times in supervision will come, but if you can walk away from supervision sessions feeling more energized and less depleted, then you are getting something from the process.
• Doing one of the most difficult jobs by holding someone else's pain means we might swear from time to time, and honestly, that's okay!
• Supervision cannot operate while fixating on rigid boundaries set by the supervisor to help mask a fragile ego, knowledge gaps, or even fear. Its more about mutual respect.
• Differences in views and beliefs are praised. Curiosity, respect, and a willingness to understand will only strengthen the relational bond.