Clinical Supervision Frequently Asked Questions
Choosing a supervisor is an important decision, so you may have questions about how supervision works and what you can expect.
Here are some of the questions I am most commonly asked.
What is clinical supervision?
Clinical supervision is a professional relationship where you can reflect on your client work with a qualified supervisor.
It provides space to explore your practice, develop your skills, consider ethical and professional issues, and think about how your own responses may be affecting your work.
Good supervision supports both your development as a practitioner and the wellbeing and safety of your clients.
Who do you offer supervision to?
I offer 1:1 clinical supervision for:
- Trainee and student counsellors
- Newly qualified counsellors
- Experienced counsellors
- Counsellors working in organisations
- Counsellors working in private practice
- Other professionals who require clinical supervision
I welcome practitioners from a range of theoretical orientations.
Do you offer supervision for student counsellors?
Yes. I particularly enjoy supporting student counsellors as they develop their skills and begin to find their own counselling identity.
Starting placement can feel exciting but also daunting. Supervision provides a safe space to ask questions, reflect on your client work, explore your developing skills and build confidence.
We can explore your learning, theoretical understanding, ethical boundaries, client work, personal responses and any doubts or anxieties that arise along the way.
Supervision is about more than meeting your course requirements. It is about supporting you as a student and the therapist you are becoming.
How often should I have supervision?
The frequency of supervision will depend on your experience, workload, client hours, training requirements and the professional body or organisation you work with.
We can discuss what level of supervision is appropriate for you and review this as your practice develops.
Student counsellors will usually need to follow the supervision requirements set by their training provider and placement.
How long are supervision sessions?
I offer flexible session lengths depending on your needs.
Sessions can include:
- 1 hour
- 1½ hours
- Fortnightly or monthly arrangements
- Short-term or longer-term supervision
For student counsellors, supervision frequency and session length can be discussed around your placement requirements and client hours.
What happens during a supervision session?
There isn’t a set formula for every session.
We may explore a particular client, something that has stayed with you after a session, an ethical concern, your therapeutic interventions or your own responses within the work.
We may also look at your wider professional development, confidence, boundaries and wellbeing.
Supervision should give you space to stop, think and reflect.
What supervision models do you use?
My approach is integrative and draws on the Seven-Eyed Model of Supervision and the Integrated Developmental Model (IDM).
The Seven-Eyed Model allows us to look beyond the client alone and consider the therapeutic relationship, your internal responses, the supervisory relationship and the wider context surrounding the work.
The IDM recognises that practitioners develop over time. This allows me to adapt my supervision to your level of experience, offering greater guidance, support or challenge depending on what you need.
Is supervision confidential?
Yes. Supervision is confidential and takes place within the relevant ethical and professional frameworks.
However, confidentiality is not absolute. There may be circumstances where information needs to be shared, particularly where there are concerns about safety, serious risk or professional conduct.
We can discuss confidentiality and its boundaries as part of our supervision agreement.
Is student supervision confidential?
Student supervision is a confidential and supportive professional relationship, but there are important boundaries around confidentiality.
As a student, your placement will usually involve a three- or four-way agreement between you, your training provider, your placement organisation and your supervisor.
This agreement sets out everyone’s responsibilities and helps ensure safe and ethical practice.
Your training provider may also require supervision reports to confirm your placement hours and support your ongoing professional development.
Can I contact you between supervision sessions?
I understand that occasionally something arises between sessions that you need to talk through.
Where appropriate, I offer a brief telephone call of up to 10 minutes between sessions, particularly where you need to think through an ethical or safeguarding concern or need some support to work out your next steps.
This is not intended to replace your regular supervision session, but to provide timely support when something needs addressing before your next appointment.
Do you offer online supervision?
Yes. I offer supervision:
- Face-to-face from my office at Fairkytes Arts Centre in Hornchurch
- Online via Zoom
- By telephone
This allows us to choose an option that works for your circumstances.
Can you support me with setting up a private practice?
Yes. I have a particular interest in supporting counsellors who are developing or establishing their own private practice.
Alongside clinical supervision, we can explore your professional identity, the challenges of self-employment and how you want your practice to develop.
My aim is to help you build a practice that reflects your values and the kind of counsellor you want to be.
Can you support me with accreditation?
If you are working towards professional accreditation, I can offer support with the application process.
We can discuss your individual requirements and what support you may need as part of your application.
Do you offer ad hoc supervision?
Subject to availability, I may be able to offer occasional or one-off supervision sessions.
This can be useful if you need additional support around a particular issue or if your usual supervisor is temporarily unavailable.
How much does supervision cost?
My current supervision fees are:
Clinical supervision
- 1 hour — £60
- 1½ hours — £90
Student counsellor concessionary rate
- 1 hour — £50
- 1½ hours — £75
Concessionary rates may be available depending on individual circumstances, so please get in touch if you would like to discuss this.
How do I know if we’re a good fit?
Choosing a supervisor is about more than qualifications.
You need to feel comfortable enough to be honest, supported enough to bring the difficult things and appropriately challenged to continue developing.
I offer a free 15 minute consultation by telephone or online, giving us an opportunity to talk about what you’re looking for, ask questions and see whether we feel like a good fit.
There is no obligation or pressure to book.
How do I arrange a consultation?
If you’re considering supervision and would like to have an informal conversation, please get in touch.
I’d be very happy to answer your questions and talk through what you’re looking for in supervision.
You don’t need to have everything figured out before you contact me.
Get in Touch
If you’re considering supervision, you’re very welcome to get in touch.
Contact me today to arrange your free consultation
Supervision can be a place where a living profession breathes and learns
Hawkins and Shohet