Clinical Supervision in the helping professions
Mental ill-health is still prevalent in media headlines! Are those of us who support others able to support our own mental health? If not, does this impact on the safety and wellbeing of those we are trying to help?!
So, are you getting it off your chest?! Within the psychology and counselling professions, clinical supervision is required as an imperative aspect of ethical and safe practice. Not only does it provide another qualified professional, within the scope of confidentiality, to share client material with, it also provides therapists with a listening ear to keep tabs on our own mental health, potential burnout and their own self-awareness.
As a mental health practitioner, I view clinical supervision as a vital part of my professional practice. I often wonder whether my practice would be as effective without this outside objective influence. This leads me to think about other agencies, who are not qualified in Psychology or Counselling, but use counselling skills within their roles. These range from teachers, youth workers and scout leaders to alternative therapists. All of these are front line roles where individuals often discuss personal and difficult matters ……… I have to ask, where is the supervision and guidance for them??
Within our service, we are seeing an increase in requests for staff clinical supervision from various agencies including schools, businesses and other organisations working with vulnerable young people. In the healthcare sector, high support staff turnover detrimentally impacts business goals. Staff sickness is increasing due to work related stress. We should ask, should clinical supervision pave a way forward in order to supporting and retain staff?
Coming initially from a corporate background, I can hear sceptics questioning the value of clinical supervision, as if it were managerial supervision. The questions I would ask are…….
Can you switch off from work once you leave?
Are you suffering with work related stress?
How well do you cope with difficult behaviours?
Are you aware of your responses and what is triggered within you when faced with these situations?
Do you know why you react in the way that you do and what drives your response?
Supervision provides a much needed steer, an alternative way to self-reflect, improve one’s self-awareness and most importantly build resilience and coping mechanisms moving forward. It can assist in looking at responses, including your own anxiety and depression, which may be driven from the unconscious, leaving us bewildered as to why we feel so weighed down by the difficulties we hear on a day to day basis. Working with emotional baggage can be a tall order, both mentally and physically, so where in the wider context of the helping professions is the support for the supporters??!!
So, are you getting it off your chest?! If you are searching for a clinical supervisor, take a look at our verified, qualified supervisors
Article by: Emma Farrell
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