I have worked in Bristol as a Reflective Practice facilitator (group and individual) in the voluntary sector since 2015. The primary focus of this work has been toward maintaining a Psychologically Informed Environment (PIE), a concept that grew out of work in homelessness, but is similar to ideas found traditionally in Social Work. This means I’ve been lucky enough to work with people from a variety of backgrounds, with different life experiences and training.
I frequently use concepts from counselling and counselling supervision in this work, such as Inskipp and Proctor’s Seven-Eyed Model and and Kagan’s Interpersonal Process Recall (IPR). My training in trauma therapy has also been very useful as I am mindful that vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and burnout are always possible when we work with people in challenging situations.
I completed the Advanced Diploma Course in Relational Supervision in January 2020. I now work with qualified therapists, and other members of the helping professions, working in private practice and in organisations, as well as with trainee counsellors working in organisations.
My work is grounded in the BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions and rooted in the principle that we are working for the clients’ benefit.
An article about changing clinical supervisors is available in the June 2019 issue of Therapy Today (Bean, L. and Perkins, K. 2019. Time to Change? Therapy Today 30:5). The article is currently only available to BACP members but it is worth checking out as it provides a useful outline of what we can expect from our clinical supervisors and/or what we should be offering as clinical supervisors. I particularly liked this:
“A good enough supervisor:
- has up-to-date skills, knowledge and expertise in our therapeutic modality
- can speak about differences in thinking and approach in a spirit of enquiry and non-judgement (especially if from a different therapeutic modality)
- validates our work and challenges both thinking and practice
- conducts meetings in an atmosphere of respect, openness and curiosity that encourages our development1
- demonstrates attunement to us
- maintains boundaries and focus
- canvasses for and accepts feedback.”
It also provides a handy list of BACP resources relating to supervision.
Please get in touch if you have any questions by emailing me at nathalie.counselling@gmail.com or ringing /texting 07824452840