Supervision

Professional supervision is defined as:

“The process whereby a professional can discuss personal, professional/clinical, business, and work related issues with a qualified professional supervisor, who is usually more experienced than the supervisee, with a view to resolving professionally orientated issues and with the intention of helping the supervisee to further evolve professionally in a positive manner, as well as identifying any emotional issues.” Armstrong (2006)

Professional supervision is a requirement for counsellors and psychologists to maintain registration with their professional bodies. Several other industries are now starting to recognise the importance of supervision for members to function at their best in their given role.

Supervision is offered on a one-off or ongoing basis depending on need. One-off sessions are usually for the purpose of exploring issues with a particular client or situations that relates to one of the specialties of LTV. Ongoing supervision includes working on issues with clients, but reaches further to incorporate the therapists self-care, administration, compliance with policies and procedures, and running a small business if in private practice. It is important to note that supervision is NOT counselling. Although personal issues are covered in the supervision process, a different therapist should be consulted if these issues require a therapeutic approach. 

The supervision policies of the Australian Counselling Association can be found here.