Clinical Supervision – A Space to Think, Reflect and Develop.

When we think about clinical supervision, it can be easy to think of it as something we have to do as counsellors and psychotherapists. We have our supervision sessions, talk about our clients, look at any ethical or professional issues and then get on with the rest of our work.

But I think supervision can be much more than that.

For me, good supervision is about having a space where you can slow things down, talk things through and think about what’s happening in your work. Sometimes that might be about a difficult client or something you’re struggling with. Other times it might be about something that went really well and you want to understand more about why it worked.

I don’t think you always need to arrive at supervision with a problem that needs fixing.

Sometimes we just need to talk things through

Working as a counsellor can be quite an isolated job.

Even when we’re busy seeing clients all week, we’re often sitting in a room on our own with one person, holding whatever comes up in that session. We can’t go home and talk about the details of our work with our partner, friends or family.

That’s one of the things I think is valuable about supervision.

It gives us somewhere to put some of that stuff.

You might have a client who has been on your mind all week. Perhaps you’re not quite sure what’s going on for them, or you’ve noticed that you’re reacting to them differently to other clients.

You might be thinking:

• Why am I finding this client so difficult?
• Why am I thinking about this session so much?
• Am I doing the right thing here?
• Why do I feel like I’m getting nowhere?

Sometimes talking about these things with another experienced therapist can help us make sense of what’s going on.

It doesn’t necessarily mean there is a problem with our practice. Sometimes we just need somewhere to explore what’s happening.

Supervision isn’t about getting everything right

I think there can sometimes be a pressure on counsellors to feel that they should know what they’re doing all the time.

The reality is that therapy doesn’t work like that.

People are complicated. Relationships are complicated. Sometimes we get things right and sometimes we get things wrong. There will be sessions where we come away feeling that things went really well and others where we’re left wondering what the hell happened.

That’s part of being a therapist.

For me, supervision isn’t about sitting there waiting to tell you what you’ve done wrong.

It’s about exploring what’s happening and trying to understand it.

Perhaps there was something you said to a client that you’re not sure about. Maybe you noticed yourself becoming frustrated with them. Perhaps you felt anxious during a session and aren’t sure why.

These can all be useful things to bring to supervision.

A supportive space

The relationship between supervisor and supervisee is really important to me.

If you don’t feel comfortable talking openly in supervision, then I think we’re missing something important.

You need to be able to say, “I’m not sure what I’m doing here”, or “I really struggled with this client”, without feeling that you’re going to be judged for it.

That doesn’t mean supervision should just be a place where someone tells you that everything you’re doing is brilliant.

Sometimes I might question something or challenge your thinking. I think that’s an important part of supervision too.

But I don’t see challenge as being the main purpose of supervision.

For me, it’s about getting the balance right.

Sometimes you need support. Sometimes you need to explore something. Sometimes you might need someone to ask you a question that makes you look at things slightly differently.

The important thing is that there is a reason for doing it.

Reflecting on ourselves as therapists

One of the things I find interesting about counselling is that we’re not just working with techniques or theories.

We’re also part of the relationship.

How we’re feeling can have an impact on our work. Our experiences, beliefs and assumptions can influence how we see a client and what we notice in a session.

This is one of the reasons I think reflection is so important.

Perhaps through countertransference you have a client who reminds you of someone from your own life. Maybe you notice that you feel particularly protective towards someone. Or perhaps you find yourself getting frustrated because a client keeps making the same choices.

Rather than beating ourselves up about having these reactions, we can become curious about them.

• What’s going on here?
• Why am I reacting like this?
• What might this tell me about the work?
• What impact could this have on the client?

This kind of reflection can help us become more aware of ourselves as therapists.

And, as I’ve said elsewhere in my work, I think awareness is often the starting point for change.

Supervision isn’t just about difficult clients

It’s easy to think that the most useful supervision is going to be about the client you’re struggling with.

And sometimes it is.

But I also think there is value in bringing the things that are going well.

Perhaps you’ve noticed something changing in your practice. Maybe you’re feeling more confident with a particular type of client. Perhaps you’ve tried something different in a session and it worked better than you expected.

These things are worth exploring too.

• What did you notice?
• What did you do differently?
• What does this tell you about your developing practice?

Sometimes recognising what we’re doing well can be just as useful as focusing on what we’re struggling with.

Developing confidence

Something I’ve noticed over the years is that confidence doesn’t necessarily come simply from gaining more experience.

You can have years of experience and still find yourself questioning whether you’re doing something right.

I think supervision can help with this.

Not by simply telling you that you’re doing a good job, but by giving you the opportunity to think things through and develop your own confidence in your therapeutic judgement.

Sometimes you might come to supervision looking for an answer and, rather than giving you one, we might explore what’s led you to the point you’re at.

This can help you develop your own thinking rather than becoming reliant on your supervisor to tell you what to do.

Supervision changes as we develop

What you need from supervision when you’re a newly qualified counsellor is likely to be different from what you need after you’ve been practising for several years.

When we’re starting out, there can be a lot of uncertainty.

• Am I doing this right?
• Is this normal?
• What do I do with this client?

As we gain experience, the questions can change.

We might become more interested in our therapeutic style, the types of clients we want to work with, our professional development or some of the more complex situations that come with being an experienced therapist.

I think supervision needs to be flexible enough to recognise this.

It’s not about putting every supervisee through the same process.

It’s about understanding where you are in your development and what would be useful for you.

So what does good supervision look like?

I don’t think there is one simple answer to this.

Different counsellors will want different things from supervision and different supervisory relationships will work for different people.

For me, though, there are a few things that are important.

You should feel able to talk openly.

You should have space to reflect.

You should be able to explore uncertainty without feeling judged.

You should have the opportunity to recognise your strengths as well as areas for development.

And, when it’s helpful, you should be able to have those more challenging conversations too.

Ultimately, I think supervision should help you feel supported in the work you’re doing while also helping you continue to develop as a therapist.

My approach to supervision

My approach to supervision is primarily supportive and nurturing with constructive challenging.

I want supervision to be somewhere you can come and talk openly about your work, whether that’s something you’re struggling with, something you’re unsure about or something you’re pleased with.

I don’t see myself as someone who has all the answers, and I don’t think my job is to tell you how to be a therapist.

Instead, I see supervision as a collaborative process where we can explore what’s happening in your work, make sense of it and think about what might be helpful.

There will be times when I’ll challenge your thinking or ask you to look at something differently. But for me, that challenge needs to come from a place of support and should have a purpose.

The aim isn’t to catch you out.

It’s to help you develop.

And sometimes, perhaps more importantly, it’s simply about having someone there who understands the work and gives you a space to talk.

If you’re looking for clinical supervision that offers support, reflection and space to develop as a counsellor or psychotherapist, I’d be happy to have a conversation with you about whether my approach would be a good fit.