323 – Engaging with Clinical Supervision

Regulation in Counselling and Psychotherapy – Power Up your Counselling Skills through Observation

In Episode 323 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 engaging with clinical supervision and how to get the most from it.
• Then in ‘Practice Matters’, Rory speaks with Susie Jamerson in the second part of a three-part series exploring regulation in counselling and psychotherapy.
• And lastly in ‘Student Services’, Rory and Ken discuss powering up your counselling skills through observation.

Engaging with Clinical Supervision [starts at 03:54 mins]

When it comes to clinical supervision, it’s essential to ensure you and your clients are getting the most out of the process. Rory and Ken explore the purpose of engaging with clinical supervision and how to evaluate its effectiveness:

• Proctor’s Model of Supervision has three key areas:
  • Normative: Professional standards and ethical issues.
  • Restorative: Support, well-being, and stress reduction.
  • Formative: Skills and knowledge development.
• Re-evaluate your supervision annually– does your supervisor still meet your evolving needs?
• Consider the needs of your client group and any specialist training you’ve undertaken.
• Recognise barriers to supervision, such as:
  • Lack of choice.
  • Modality mismatch.
  • Fear of judgement.
• Supervision should challenge you and help you grow, not simply be a comfortable space.
• Tips to discuss with your supervisor:
  • What works and what doesn’t work?
  • How can you refine the process together?

Regulation in Counselling and Psychotherapy [starts at 27:40 mins]

In this week’s ‘Practice Matters’, Rory speaks with Susie Jamerson about statutory regulation of counselling and psychotherapy.

The key points of this discussion include:

• Regulation aims to protect the public, but implementation must be fair and carefully considered.
• Concerns about regulation:
  • Will it exclude competent practitioners who don’t meet arbitrary criteria?
  • Could it replicate issues seen in the SCoPEd framework?
• Protecting counselling and psychotherapy as professional titles could be a step forward.
• Training standards are crucial – licensing training providers may provide a foundation for regulation.
• Recognising that even in regulated professions, unethical behaviour can still occur.
• Focus regulation on eradicating charlatans and unqualified practitioners.

Power Up your Counselling Skills through Observation [starts at 49:14 mins]

In this week’s ‘Student Services’, Rory and Ken explore how you can power up your counselling skills through the power of observation.

• Social Learning Theory: We learn through observing and reflecting on others’ practice.
• The observer role can be the most powerful learning experience.
• Watch for key counselling skills (e.g. silence, reflection, summarising).
• Learn to observe:
  • The use of skills by the listener.
  • The client’s (speaker’s) reactions to interventions.
• Feedback Tips:
  • Start with feedback from the speaker to avoid influencing their reflections.
  • Highlight the listener’s effective use of skills and areas for improvement.
• Counselling skills are the engine of your practice – honing them ensures the best outcomes for your clients.

Links and Resources

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