SERVICES
Group Supervision For Counsellors
Online Group Clinical Supervision for Counsellors
Group supervision for counsellors provides a safe and positive learning environment in which you are encouraged to reflect on the content and process of your work with clients. This allows you to strengthen your skills and develop new perspectives. I look forward to supporting and encouraging you in your practice.
What is Group Supervision for counsellors?
Group Supervision for counsellors provides a structured learning experience focused on your professional needs and your stage of development as a practitioner.
The aim of Group Supervision is to enhance your growth as a practitioner and increase the effectiveness of your work with clients. Consequently, your clients will receive a high-quality professional service.
How to choose a Group Supervisor
In order to meet industry training standards, Clinical supervisors must be Clinical Members of PACFA for a minimum of 5 years. Additionally, they must have completed specific training in supervision. They must also have at least two years’ supervised Clinical supervision experience before being registered as a PACFA Accredited Supervisor.
A supervisor should be responsive to your individual needs and provide a positive supervision experience in which you feel safe and supported, challenged and guided.
A supportive group supervision experience has the potential to grow your confidence and skill. My supervision groups create a safe space for you to share your experiences, contribute equally, and learn from others. My groups are friendly, supportive, relaxed and encouraging, with a strong learning focus.
It is best to choose a supervisor who is a good fit for you and your learning needs, and has the skills to guide you in your stage of development as a counsellor.
About me as a supervisor
I am a PACFA Accredited Supervisor with 18 years counselling experience and 5 1/2 years’ experience as a counselling educator. I draw on my knowledge of learning and group dynamics to create a dynamic environment for positive growth and skill development as a counsellor.
I started out as a Music educator and writer, then discovered the world of counselling and became a School Counsellor, a Senior Counsellor in AOD, and a counsellor in private practice, I have run several counselling training groups and workshops in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
I am willing to share my experience with you and am most interested in my supervises learning from and supporting each other in my groups. I believe that good supervision should support, guide, challenge and provide a fertile learning environment that helps you grow as a practitioner and person.
How important is Clinical group Supervision for counsellors?
Clinical supervision is sometimes described as the most important component of a counsellor’s professional practice (Geldard & Geldard, 2013).
Group supervision has been found to be effective in
Benefits of Group Supervision include enhanced learning through engaging with a supportive group of practitioners, a sense of community and a broadening of perspectives. It gets you thinking in a different way and depths your reflective practice.
It can be undertaken as your sole form of supervision or as a supplement to individual supervision.
What is the role of Clinical supervision for counsellors?
Clinical supervision is a contractual relationship with clear boundaries, a structure and individual goals. The role of the Clinical supervisor is to create a safe learning environment and to help you identify your strengths and learning needs in order to continually develop your professional practice.
Clinical supervision includes confidentiality and informed consent when working with client issues. It is based on professional codes of ethics for counsellors.
Supervision typically has an educative, supportive and administrative function to ensure your clients are receiving appropriate therapeutic counselling to the standard of the profession. Clinical supervision also has an evaluative function, which we will address through feedback on the sessions and self-reflection on your practice. You will be responsible for reporting back to the group on the previous session’s learnings and for thoughtfully presenting a case, issues, themes, learning needs etc. as needed.
The supervision relationship
The supervision relationship is central to achieving positive outcomes in supervision (Carroll, 1996). It is a learning relationship with a clear purpose and goals. Together as a group, we will form a collaborative working alliance that is supportive and responsive to group and individual needs and takes into account your stage of development as a practitioner.
The supervision process
The aim is for group supervision to be dynamic and engaging. Within a clear structure there will be space for each person to share a case, an issue, themes they are experiencing, or to explore how these are affecting them. Often themes emerge within the group and we will make these connections as we work together. Peer and supervisor feedback will add to your learning experience and Informal evaluation will also be a feature of our sessions.
During supervision, the group may pose interesting questions for the supervisee to encourage reflective enquiry and make connections with cases or issues they have worked with. There will be sharing of skills, perceptions and resources where appropriate. We will explore some models for case conceptualisation as well as and occasional recorded/video-taped sessions.
The Ethics of Online Supervision
Online Supervision can involve ethical issues around confidentiality, informed consent, and data leakage. I have taken some important measures to protect you and your information, which are outlined in my privacy policy and policy for informed consent and confidentiality .
For small group supervision sessions I use Zoom without the record feature. For administration I use Cliniko’s integrated telehealth software and data collection system to collect your personal details and deliver messages.
Security and compliance
You be assured that your consultations are kept private and confidential, with the exceptions noted in my Privacy Policy. Your records are kept safe through Cliniko’s secure system and through locked access to any notes I make.
All video calls are secured with end-to-end encryption and meet the strict privacy and security standards and data regulations of Australian Privacy Principles, GDPR, and HIPAA.
How should I prepare for Group Supervision?
Before our first session, I will send my Supervision Privacy and Confidentiality Policy. This outlines the supervision contract, what to expect from supervision and ethical considerations. I also send you an Intake Form for Supervision to complete before our first session. I’ll ask about your experiences with Supervision and what worked for you, and what you’re hoping to achieve now from Group Supervision. There are four questions to prepare for our first session and you’ll find these at the end of the Intake Form.
Fees and arrangements
Group supervision is $90 for a 90-minute session, with a maximum of three or four participants. If we have only two participants we adjust the time to 75-minutes at the same fee. Groups decide on the frequency of meetings – some meet every three weeks, others meet every four weeks. Some groups like to set the dates at the start of the process, whilst others like to set them from month to month, depending on client work.
Contact Linda Magson, Clinical counselling supervisor, to find out more about Group Supervision.