What is Professional Supervision?
Definition
The Australasian Association of Supervision
defines supervision as a contractual, relational, collaborative process, which facilitates the ethical and professional practice of the supervisee.
Benefits of Supervision
Supervision builds confidence, competence, knowledge and resilience in pastoral leadership.
It provides an opportunity to process and make sense of both positive and challenging experiences in your ministry context. By considering and exploring different perspectives on issues, new insights can be gained that enhance and improve your pastoral practice.
Being intentional, not just reactive
Christian ministry holds a significant amount of complexity. Difficult relationships and situations, competing agendas, theology and philosophies, combined with your own life experiences and personality, makes it difficult at times to see things clearly. Supervision provides a space and opportunity to slow down, reflect, and clarify the best next step in your unique situation.
Safe space
Ministry can be an isolating experience.
The power dynamics of relationships with ministry co-workers and the people you minister to can
leave you without a safe relationship in which to debrief. Supervision is a confidential relationship
with someone outside your ministry space. Your supervisor is someone you can be completely honest with, to talk through situations and relationships as they really are, helping you make wise and intentional responses in your ministry.
Increased resilience
There is a growing level of stress for pastoral leaders in Australia, with many experiencing high levels of anxiety and some at the point of burnout.
Supervision provides you with a place to preemptively reflect on the demands on your life in ministry, enabling you to thrive and not just survive.
What happens in a Supervision session?
In our first session we would typically establish the working parameters of our supervisory relationship and then explore your current ministry context, role and responsibilities.
Subsequent sessions focus on issues impacting on your pastoral role that you choose to bring to the session.
Common areas of discussion
Debriefing critical incidents.
Power dynamics of ministry relationships.
Career direction.
Team issues, roles, responsibilities and expectations.
Skills, further study/training possibilities.
Ethical dilemmas.
Self-care, emotional wellbeing and stress management.
Boundaries, conflict and working relationships.
Be willing to engage in effective communication
A key factor for a successful supervision experience is communication. As a supervisee, you will engage in open and honest dialogue, actively exchanging thoughts, experiences and reflections.
By embracing effective communication, supervision becomes a dynamic and enriching experience that drives professional growth.
Supervision involves personal reflection
Engaging in personal reflection allows you to examine the impact of your practice on others. Supervision invites you to engage in a critical examination of your own beliefs, biases, and assumptions, fostering a heightened level of self-awareness. This self-awareness empowers you to identify areas for growth and development, making it a powerful tool for enhancing skills and cultivating empathic, culturally sensitive,
and ethical practices.