Counselor Supervision

Supervision holds a very critical place in a counselling practice. As a practitioner in the field I have observed that we often get to feel left out and disconnected from others in the work we do. This is because counselling does not involve much engagement with others outside of the clients themselves. This makes it hard to track one’s progress, to discuss advancement in the field with others and/ or to be mindful about oneself from getting into unhelpful patterns that might play out unconsciously in a therapy session.

Supervision provides that space for counsellors to identify, acknowledge and challenge the blind spots in their practice, to work on value conflicts, overcome biases and brainstorm on counselling strategies in cases where they feel stuck. It also allows regular and monitored reflection as well as discussion which ensures that counsellors continue to work in a ethically safe manner.

In Indian therapy scenario supervision is a fairly underutilised tool for monitoring efficacy and personal advancement of an individual therapist.

When one encounters transference and countertransference in sessions with clients, it is imperative to have feedback from someone who has had enough experience to navigate through tricky therapy situations. The idea is to eventually become skilled at identifying such responses in a therapy setting. All-in all supervision makes the counsellors more confident and self –aware as they venture out into their practice.