Theory and Practice of Supervision

Theory and Practice of Supervision is a comprehensive introduction to the theory and practice of supervision within a generic perspective, making this unit relevant to counsellors and human resource practitioners alike. The aim of this unit is to provide an introduction to the purpose and practise of supervision within a variety of professional contexts. Students will gain clarity in how to find supervisors to suit their professional needs and how to use supervision to maximise their personal learning. The unit provides a solid theoretical and practical understanding of the process of supervision in the light of different models, methods and rationales.

Students are guided to reflect on the setting and context in which they work, to consider ethical and legal concerns, and to analyse their experience and practice of working with people. Opportunities are provided to write a supervision contract, plan for evaluation and review, present client cases, receive and give feedback and gain self awareness on practice.

Please note: students will need to have completed or be in the process of completing their fieldwork before enrolling for this unit.

Learning Outcomes

  • Understand the importance of supervision in practice
  • Demonstrate preparation for supervision sessions
  • Explore the role of the counsellor and practitioner in supervision
  • Understand the importance of contracts and boundaries
  • Identify the process of acquiring and working with clients
  • Explore and identify the skills required to maintain a counselling relationship
  • Establish and explore the stages of the counselling relationship’
  • Awareness of personal issues relating to the counselling relationship
  • Identify when and how to refer clients to other practitioners
  • Understand group processes occurring in supervision
  • Identify and analyse ethical and legal issues

Content Areas

  • Defining Supervision and Recognising its Place in Professional Counselling
  • Models of Supervision
  • Professional Requirements of Supervision
  • Individual, Group and Self-Supervision
  • Introduction to Case Presentation
  • Methods and Techniques of Supervision
  • The Supervisory Relationships
  • Client-Counsellor-Supervisor Relationships
  • The Context of Supervision
  • Multicultural Supervision
  • Ethical and Legal Issues
  • A Review of the Unit

Unit Duration and Workload

This unit involves a total of 36 hours of face to face delivery of self directed study including educator contact in flexible delivery modes, generating a further 54 hours of self-study per unit including research and related study activities, including assessment. This translates to 7.5 hours per week for the unit.