What is clinical supervision?
Clinical supervision is a professional environment in which counsellors are given the opportunity to explore professional goals, address areas of growth and gain support in achieving positive client outcomes.
Supervision is a supportive, educational, and therapeutic process where you may enhance your practice knowledge and therapeutic skills, improving the way you work with your clients.
Here are some common areas discussed:
- Difficult or challenging cases
- Ethical dilemmas/standards
- Strategies, techniques and models
- Feeling stuck
-
Setting up private practice and its challenges
- Whether a niche is important
-
Getting started and networking for students
- How to find a job
- Emotional support
- Recognising patterns
-
Preventing burnout
-
Self-care
- Monitoring boundaries
- Confidence and motivation
- Sounding board to share emotional load
The professional relationship with a clinical supervisor involves a structure that is designed to support you, aiming to address your learning needs and develop your skills to align with the standards of the industry. It is a supportive approach to discussing cases, providing objective feedback, and offering guidance based on your personal and professional needs. Supervision presents an opportunity to learn and practice skills so you can maximise your performance as a therapist and feel more competent in your work. This assures that you are receiving the support you need from a professional of industry experience, further benefiting the experience of your clients within the therapeutic process.
What is group supervision?
Group supervision is a facilitated group that explores similar areas as individual supervision. However, as a group, this type of supervision provides new perspectives, learning opportunities, additional support, and networking opportunities.
Some people find that group supervision complements their individual sessions as it creates a space of increased learning and development – often around areas they didn’t know much about before.
What is required from clinical supervision will vary from therapist to therapist and will depend on experience and practice.
My facilitated groups are small and personable. The length of the sessions is two hours in order to provide each member enough time to discuss their areas of concern and/or to ask questions.
The groups are currently held monthly on a Monday at 10 am and Tuesday at 12.30 pm unless otherwise requested.
If you are interested in joining one of my clinical supervision groups please contact me on 0404 032636 or email your interest to info@kylielepri.com.au
Benefits of group supervision:
- Have the opportunity to present work and receive feedback and different perspectives from Kylie and also your peers.
- Grow confidence and gain skills to work with individuals & couples in a positive and supportive learning environment.
- Discuss personal concerns that may be holding you back in your work.
- Meet and connect with others in your field.
- Helps with normalising your experiences
- Build your Professional development hrs
- Cost Effective
How to choose a clinical supervisor
Considering who may be the best supervisor to support your professional needs is a process that can take some time and thought. Here are a few questions to consider and help with the process:
- How do I best learn?
- What experience should my supervisor have to benefit my learning?
- Should my supervisor specialise in any area to benefit my learning?
- Would individual or group supervision suit me best or a combination of both?
- What issues do I want to address with my supervisor?
- Do I want to meet with my supervisor in person or virtually?
- How often would I like to attend and/or need to attend to meet professional requirements?
Before making your decision, always check that your supervisor is registered with a professional association body. Requirements of registered supervisors are in place to meet industry standards. Pacfa clinical supervisors are required to be clinical members for at least 5 years with the completion of supervisor training modules. This is accompanied by a prior 2 years of supervised clinical supervision, as well as continuous supervision with their own supervisors regarding counselling and supervision practice.
Importance of clinical supervision
Clinical supervision is essential to the personal development of counsellors, as well as to the therapeutic relationship with clients. The supervision process involves a strong sense of reflection. Within this reflective environment, you may explore aspects of the counselling process that pose challenges. With the support of your supervisor, and perhaps other supervisees in a group setting, different views or understandings may come to light that you may not identify or resolve on your own. The expertise of experienced counsellors and practice owners can provide knowledge, guidance, support, and assistance. This increases your self-awareness, professional development, and client outcomes within your own practice.
Some benefits of regular clinical supervision:
- Increased skills and knowledge
- Additional education
- Understanding, support and acknowledgement
- Valuable guidance
- Healthier boundaries
- Increase of confidence and motivation
- Improved self-care
- Gain new resources
- New perspectives
As you can see, there are many benefits of clinical supervision. I believe this regular support and ongoing personal and professional development is crucial to your growth as a therapist and when helping your clients.
Most importantly, my aim as your clinical supervisor is for you to feel skilled, confident, and competent in yourself and in your work.
Professional Memberships
PACFA - Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia
Australia – Clinical Member. Reg. 21675
ARCAP - Australian Register of Counsellors and Psychotherapists
Australia – Reg. 21675
Australian College of Relationship Counsellors – Clinical Member
- Positive Psychology in Practice with Lydia Levleva
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) - Introductory and Advanced
- Certificate in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) with Children and Adolescence
- 1-2-3 Magic and Emotion Coaching Training program with Michael Hawton
- Assessment in Children – A Psychodynamic Approach
- Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) for Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
- Brief Treatment of Anxiety Disorders with R. Reid Wilson
- The Psychotherapy of Intractable Depression- reconsidering the role of trauma
- Critical Incident Stress Management - Group Crisis Intervention
- Hypnotherapy and Creative Visualisation
- Advanced Hypnotherapy
- Clinical Supervisor training – Intensive 40hrs with Dr Elizabeth Riley
- Grieving mindfully with self compassion with Beate Steller
- Completed Level 1 – Training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy
- Completed Level 2 – Training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy
- Completed Level 3 – Practicum Training in Gottman Method Couples Therapy
- Gottman Method Couples – Infidelity & Trauma
- EFT – Emotionally Focused Therapy
- Working with Challenging couples with Jacqueline Mcdiarmid
- Working with Family Estrangements and Cut-Offs with Jacqueline Mcdiarmid
- Love, Relationships & Heartaches: a challenge to therapeutic interventions with Paul Gibney
- Discussing Sex: Do You or Don’t you?
- Identifying vicarious trauma and managing the Inevitable with Jackie Burke
- Resilience at Work and Life
- Solution Focused Brief Therapy- A Comprehensive Introduction with Michael Durrant
- The Mindfulness Combo: Innovative Mindfulness Techniques for Emotional Eating, Weight Loss, Smoking Cessation, Substance Misuse, Breaking Problematic Habits, Impulse Control, Anxiety and Depression.
- Mental Health Course
- Mental Health Issues and Assessment Tools for Workcover Clients
- Language and Experience – Weaving together Focusing and Narrative ideas with Adrian Van Den Bok
- Therapy gifts from Heidegger & The Buddha – Psychotherapy as a Healing Process with Belinda Khong
- The Brain’s Way of Healing with Norman Doidge, MD
- Australian Online Therapy Training
I’m a PACFA Accredited clinical supervisor and have been practicing as a counsellor, psychotherapist, and couples therapist for almost 20 years.
During this time, I have built two successful private practices, on top of establishing and mentoring a wonderful team. Furthermore, I have also provided consultancy and training in a variety of large private and public organisations.
I have extensive experience, training, and qualifications in many health and well-being areas with a special interest in couples therapy.
I regularly provide counselling and support for both individuals and couples with concerns such as anxiety, depression, stress, grief and loss, trauma, and relationship issues, as well as offer clinical supervision to both new and established therapists in my private practice.
Outside of work, most of my time is spent with my beautiful family; my husband, two kids, and all of my crazy extended family (just kidding, they are great)!
I also enjoy walking, going to the movies, traveling, and spending time with friends.
My Approach
I’m very passionate about the mental health industry and take great pride in my clinical work and the supervision support I provide. I love to share my knowledge and experience in supporting my supervisees through the ups and downs of being a therapist and/or private practice owner.
I like to provide a practical and relaxed approach when assisting in the areas that are most important and valuable to you in your work and/or stage of practice. Together, we will identify and explore key areas of concern, increase awareness and implement new strategies and/or techniques that will be most beneficial to your situation.
I am professionally trained in many different styles of therapy, including The Gottman Method, which allows me to develop a very individualised approach that is best suited to you and your supervision goals.
I’m also very mindful of the importance and role of self-care in the work we provide so, therefore, I incorporate a self-care focus throughout the supervision process.
In order to provide you with the most prevalent knowledge and clinical supervision experience possible, I am also very committed to my own ongoing personal and professional development.
Whether you’re a new or established counsellor/therapist my aim is to help you feel skilled, confident, and competent in yourself, and in your work.
Supervision Relationship
The supervision relationship is a working alliance based on learning, goals, and professional development. Although structured, the supervision relationship is collaborative and ever-changing to address the needs of the supervisee. This may involve exploring a variety of client cases, personal challenges, bias, and sharing industry knowledge. Put simply, the supervision relationship is led by your personal and professional needs.
For some therapists, especially students, the idea of clinical supervision can feel very daunting. To ease any concerns, during the initial session I provide a clear, supportive, and guided framework for you to ask questions, reflect on your supervision needs, and begin to explore any pressing issues.
Prior to your initial session, it is often helpful to consider what areas you would like support in and/or if you have any specific questions.
During the initial session it will be an opportunity to start to discuss in more detail your supervision needs and to get accustomed to my style of working. This will ensure that we will maximise the benefits of meeting your supervision goals.
During our discussions, I will provide you with valuable feedback, suggestions, and guidance based on your goals and hopes for supervision.
Toward the end of the supervision session, we will review our discussions and what has been helpful, and if any other areas of interest have been flagged for homework or future discussions.
I currently offer individual and monthly online group supervision sessions. I offer a broad range of support, from working with individuals and couples to the fundamentals and challenges of private practice and organisations.