Reflective Practice in Supervision

The best teachers are not outside of us – they are inside. Collaborative reflection in supervision can transform our experiences into learning.

This practical book details three stances of reflective supervision:

1. noticing what's happening (the Mindful Stance),

2. analysing it and unpacking the assumptions that underpin it (the Consideration Stance) and

3. putting this learning into practice so that it becomes routine (the Consolidation Stance).

Daphne Hewson and Michael Carroll highlight the importance of Reflective Space as one of six supervisory spaces (the others are Directive, Evaluative, Passive, Restorative and Active Space). They provide guidelines on creating safe Reflective Space and how to use a range of mini-tools to invite practitioner's to learn from their professional experiences. The book is written for both supervisors and practitioners – it takes two to tango.

Daphne (Daf) Hewson is a Sydney psychologist who is committed to reflective supervision as the key to maintaining professional standards and sustaining health professionals in the demands of their coal-face work. She has a background as an academic (training clinical and counselling psychologists and Indigenous Health Workers) and a practitioner (specialising in working with adult survivors of childhood trauma). She teaches reflective supervision around Australia and internationally.

Michael Carroll Ph.D. is a counselling psychologist, an accredited executive coach and a supervisor of those in the helping professions. He is Visiting Industrial Professor at the University of Bristol and teaches supervision both nationally and internationally.