Relational supervision
Connection is key
As a counselling supervisor, I pay close attention to the quality of our connection. Receiving supervision can bring up feelings of nervousness, and having someone ‘looking over your shoulder’ can feel exposing. It is crucial that you feel able to discuss any concerns, conflicts or difficulties without having to filter anything out. This is why I pay particular attention to the atmosphere and quality of the supervisory relationship.
I practice relational supervision, which emphasizes the fact that the way we are with each other determines the effectiveness of supervision. Just as a strong client-therapist relationship is key to successful therapy, a supportive and trusting relationship is most helpful in supervision.
The Relational Matrix model
In my supervision work, I apply the Relational Matrix model, which focuses on several key aspects:
- Connection: I prioritise building a strong and supportive connection
- Understanding: I work collaboratively with you to ensure we share a clear understanding of your goals for supervision
- Context: I recognize the importance of the context in which counselling occurs and take into account the cultural systems of the client, yourself and the organisation within which counselling takes place
- Mutual agreement: I strive to establish a clear agreement for the supervisory relationship to ensure a safe and productive space for learning.
The importance of trust
Mutual trust is the foundation of effective supervision. I trust that you engage in the process wholeheartedly, and I strive to create an environment where you feel safe, supported and challenged when necessary. Building trust takes time and relies on the collaborative development of a strong supervisory relationship.
Supporting you in developing your authentic working style
It is my experience that as therapists, we are most useful when we can tap into our authentic way of being. As we gradually learn to trust our intuition and develop courage to be truly present with clients, our work becomes more spontaneous and impactful. My approach to supervision reflects this by helping you to find ways to be truly yourself as a practitioner. When you get out of your own way, your clients will get out of their way too.
If you’d like to explore whether my approach suits you, feel free to contact me for a trial consultation.