Counselling Supervision

Professional clinical supervision for counsellors  provides an empowering opportunity for both the Supervisee and the Supervisor. During  sessions, the Counselling Supervisee has an opportunity to develop skills, broaden their knowledge and enhance their confidence, this in turn translates into better outcomes for their clients. The Supervisor, in this sense, is a responsible and experienced practitioner who provides a confidential, non-judgmental and safe environment for the Supervisee / or for a small groups of Supervisees. As a Supervisee you are able to discuss your work on a regular basis in a safe and confidential environment and the Supervisor will provide you with unbiased guidance. Supervision sessions also provide an environment where the supervisee can discuss their own personal issues, in a confidential, safe and unbiased environment, in these instances the objectivity of the Supervisor can be highly valued. It is the responsibility of the Supervisor to maintain objectivity at all times. When we are engaged as a therapist, it is not always easy to remain objective when working with demanding and emotional cases. Supervision ensures this unemotional objectivity. The guidance and support of the Supervisor will focus on 5 key areas:

• Evaluation: supervisee’s counselling, developing process of self review, quality assurance, best practice, outcomes of service delivery, identifying risks for supervisee & clients, referrals, follow-up of client progress, helping the supervisee assess strengths & weaknesses.
• Admin: procedures, paperwork, links, accounting, case planning, record keeping, insurance considerations.
• Education: establishing clear goals for further sessions, providing resources, modelling, explaining the rationale behind a suggested intervention and vice versa, professional development, interpreting significant events in the therapy session, convergent and divergent thinking, use of self, topping up, facilitating peer connection, duty of care, legal responsibilities.
• Support: advocating, challenging, confronting, empowering, affirming, availability, empowering, use of self.
• Business Building: marketing and advertising skills, budgeting, research and analysis of market area, competition – full-fee-paying and subsidized services, cash flow, I.T. issues, business plans, add-on services such as EA.

As therapists, our working days can sometimes generate feelings of loneliness and counselling can be an isolating profession: regular supervision provides an opportunity for a supervisee to benefit from the input of someone else and to connect with another professional in an objective and constructive manner. Professional supervision is a requirement for counsellors who are members of the Australian Counselling Association (ACA). About Your Supervisor – Andrew Reay Andrew has undertaken 2 separate professional supervision training experiences: In 2012 Andrew completed the Clinical Supervisor Training Course run by the Goulding Institutes registered trainer and experienced Physiologist Jeff Berger, which encompassed a 100 hour duration training across: 4 modules from “Becoming a clinical supervisor”, “Principles of clinical supervision”, “Clinical Supervision Models and perspectives” and finally to “From theory To Practice”. This Professional Supervision Course qualification entitled Andrew to supervise Clinical Hypnotherapists. As a result Andrew is a Registered Clinical Hypnotherapy Supervisor (AACHP, AHA, ASCH approved). In 2015, after completing his Masters Degree in Counselling from Monash University, Andrew completed the Counsellors Victoria Clinical Supervisor Training Course, which encompassed 24 hours of intensive contact across the areas of: professional supervision; identify legal & risk management in the Allied Health Industry; Issues in applying Professional Supervision; Multicultural issues; Note taking – clarity in documentation; Professional supervision and the Armstrong model; Mental health issues and supervision; Consent forms and contracts workbook; Suicidal clients ACA guidelines workbook; Supervision scenarios workbook; Practical assessment. As a result Andrew is a Registered Clinical Counselling Supervisor and ACA approved. If you’re interested in finding out more about Professional Clinical Counselling Supervision with Andrew Reay then contact us now by calling 0433 273 799 or send us an email to info at thinkshift.com.au.