319 – Double Empathy Problem

Navigating the Complaints Process – Developing Your Inner Supervisor

In Episode 319 of the Counselling Tutor Podcast, your hosts Rory Lees-Oakes and Ken Kelly take us through this week’s three topics:

• Firstly in ‘Ethical, Sustainable Practice’, we look at understanding the Double Empathy Problem in Neurodivergent Therapy.
• Then in ‘Practice Matters’, we have the first part of an interview where Rory speaks with Susie Jamieson about her journey navigating the complaints process.
• And lastly in ‘Student Services’, Rory and Ken discuss developing your inner supervisor.

Double Empathy Problem [starts at 03:33 mins]

When working with neurodivergent individuals, we might encounter barriers to communication. In this section, Rory and Ken discuss the Double Empathy Problem, and how you might be able to work around this in your practice:

• When we engage with neurodivergent individuals, we can have communication challenges.
• Simile and metaphor might be a bit of a challenge.
• It boils down to misunderstandings that act as a barrier to communication.
• Social cues might be missed.
• Make sure you are saying things very clearly.
• You might have to adapt your questioning style e.g. Socratic questioning.
• Ask the client to be a part of how you work with them, ask them what changes you can make.
• Empathy is a mutual endeavour that requires flexibility, curiosity, and a commitment to seeing beyond neurotypical norms.
• Avoid ambiguity.

Navigating the Complaints Process [starts at 23:08 mins]

This section is part one of an interview with Susie Jamieson about her experience navigating the complaints process.

The key points of this section include:

• It can often feel like a huge shock.
• You might find out about the complaint months after it was made.
• The wording may sound confrontational.
• You might invest a lot of time into your preliminary response – look to your notes, your supervision notes, and provide evidence.
• It’s a long, time-consuming process.
• Find support, this might be with your supervisor.
• Consider your self-care – are you fit to practice? Do you need to lower your client hours?
• Once a complaint is made against you, you need to tell your insurance.
• Consensual Disposal – you apologise in writing to the complainant, and they agree to accept that.

Look out for part 2 of this interview next week!

Developing Your Inner Supervisor [starts at 50:11 mins]

In this section, Rory and Ken look at what the internal supervisor is, and how this develops over the course of your training:

• You develop your internal supervisor as you move through your counselling studies.
• As you learn about ethical problems, you develop ‘therapeutic wisdom’ that helps you to have your own internal supervisor.
• Unconscious competence – you’re no longer having to actively think about what skills you’re using.
• You might start to pick up on your own feelings and work out that it is transference, without taking it to your supervisor first.
• Intuitive information – trusting your own intuition and acting on it thoughtfully, inviting the client to expand.
• Everything comes from the client – if certain feelings are coming up for you, start to think about why that might be, and where they’re coming from.

Links and Resources

• Susie Jamieson
• BACP: What happens if a complaint is made against you
• NCPS Complaints Proccess
• UKCP Complaints Proccess
• Counselling Skills Academy
• Advanced Certificate in Counselling Supervision
• Basic Counselling Skills: A Student Guide
• Counsellor CPD
• Counselling Study Resource
• Counselling Theory in Practice: A Student Guide
• Counselling Tutor Shop
• Facebook group
• Website
• Online and Telephone Counselling: A Practitioner’s Guide
• Online and Telephone Counselling Course