Supervision is the creation of a context within which an individual is helped to grow and expand professionally through relationships with other professionals. In many disciplines (e.g. medicine, psychology, social work), regular supervision is a requirement for maintaining professional status.
There are two basic supervision contexts - group, and individual.
Group Supervision refers to a group of professionals who contract with a designated supervisor (usually someone with more professional experience). In this context, individuals learn through dialogue among peers and guidance from the supervisor.
Individual Supervison is the opportunity for a professional to seek individual consultation with a more experienced professional.
Why is Supervision Useful?
Supervision is useful for several reasons. Our learning process is and should be on-going. Regardless of how much we learned in school, the most potent learning opportunities often do not occur until we are out working on our own and encountering challenging situations.
There are several aspects of a practice that most professionals struggle with at some point in their career: client relations, inner conflicts, technical skills, finances, and marketing are some common ones. Challenges in these areas are opportunites filled with the potential for us to develop and grow. Supervision offers the context in which to explore and take full advantage of these challenges.
Supervision is essential to disciplines in which professionals work independently without easy access to their peers. It gives us a new feeling of confidence because we bring the depth of the support of others to our sessions.
How is Supervision Done?
Individual supervision begins with an intake, during which Jack will learn what is and what is not working for you, and what you want to focus on in supervision. Areas of focus often include: body mechanics, quality of touch, flow of sessions, technical skills, client relationships, and professional identity.
There are a variety of ways that Jack can work with you; here are some suggestions:
* You can simply sit down and discuss your area of concern
* Jack can receive your work
* You can bring a client and Jack can observe you working
* You can write up a scenario in which you capture some of the verbal, emotional, or physical dynamics between you and a client to discuss with Jack
When is Supervision Recommended?
It is up to every individual to decided when to seek supervision. Professionals seek supervision for many different reasons, the following are some examples:
* Your practice is changing - perhaps becoming emotionally or physically more challenging
* You are moving from a clinical of group setting to a private or home practice
* Your practice is not successful
* You have ethical concerns
* You are experiencing professional boredom or anxiety about your practice
* You simply desire to learn and feel supported by a more experienced professional
How often is Supervision Recommended?
Some professionals choose to be supervised for one session focusing on a specific concern. Others choose to be supervised in an on-going manner.
Here are some suggestions:
* If you are maintaining a practice of 15-plus clients per week, one individual session per month is recommended.
* If you are seeing over 20 clients per week, one individual session every three weeks is recommended.
* An on-going supervision group may hire Jack as a consultant to help them with particular issues or as a facilitator for an on-going group. Facilitated supervision groups generally meet weekly or bi-weekly.
Where is Supervision Done?
Individual supervision is done at Jack's office. Group supervision can be done either in Jack's office, or at a destination determined by the group.
