Supervision

We offer clinical supervision to support therapists and health professionals to work in the best interests of their clients, to enrich their practice and to nourish themselves.

Can you tell me something about the background and qualifications of your supervisor?

Amy Mills has been supervising therapists since 2013 and has worked with over forty practitioners to date. These have included:

trainee and experienced therapists, both one-to-one and in groups;
therapists working with children as well as with adults;
therapists from a variety of theoretical orientations including person-centred, psychodynamic, integrative, gestalt, cognitive behavioural therapists, art therapists and drama therapists.

Amy holds a BACP endorsed certificate in Therapeutic Counselling Supervision and is an accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (MBACP Accred). She adheres to the BACP’s Ethical Framework and actively uses this when working with supervisees.

Amy enjoys using creative materials and exercises when appropriate to enrich supervisory work. She usually works with supervisees face-to-face but for more experienced practitioners she is also able to work by telephone or Skype (audio).

What style of supervision do you offer?

Amy describes her supervision style as follows:

'I am a BACP accredited, integrative counsellor and psychotherapist. I base my supervisory model on Shohet and Hawkins’* 7 eyed model combined with aspects of Page and Wosket’s** cyclical model.

I value a supportive relationship with each of my supervisees founded on the core person-centred principles of empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard. Past supervisees have described me as supportive, warm and approachable. From this foundation I find supervisees generally feel comfortable to be open with me in supervision and to discuss a variety of aspects of their work which they genuinely find challenging.

As a BACP accredited practitioner, I supervise in accordance with the BACP Ethical Framework (2018) and applicable UK law. I am transparent in this process, sharing my thinking and the basis for it with supervisees, and encouraging discussion. I promote a spirit of joint enquiry to ethical decision making which I believe encourages supervisees to develop a practical understanding of how to use the Ethical Framework and knowledge of UK law, as well as how to use supervision, in order to weigh up ethical dilemmas themselves.

In addition to what is taught at college, I support supervisees’ development as counselling professionals by signposting a range of learning resources in response to the specific client work supervisees are presenting (including reading, online CPD, face-to-face workshops).

As an integrative practitioner I integrate theory from a number of schools of thought including person centred, psychodynamic, CBT, solution focused, mindfulness, attachment theory, systemic theory. I also use creative materials and exercises in my work (e.g. sand tray, art work, puppets) and sometimes use these with supervisees if they express an interest in working creatively and if doing so helps supervisees to reflect on their practice.'

Our supervision room is warm, comfortable and confidential.

Testimonials

Past supervisees have described Amy as:

'A supportive, professional, warm, boundaried, understanding, knowledgable and available supervisor.'

'Thank you for all of your support. I always value your guidance and suggestions and you really help to contain my anxieties about the work.'

How can I arrange supervision with you?

You can make an initial appointment for individual supervision with Amy today or you can contact Amy directly to discuss your situation and needs.

Sessions are available at a length and frequency to suit you (see note below). Information on fees can be found here.

To discuss the possibility of arranging group supervision please contact Amy directly.

Note: The BACP recommends that experienced practitioners have a minimum of 90 minutes’ supervision a month. For trainees the recommendation is to have supervision fortnightly, to have one hour of supervision for every eight hours of client work or to have a minimum of 90 minutes’ supervision a month (whichever is greater). These guides are the minimum amount of supervision recommended but you may feel that you require more supervision time, or more regular sessions, if you are early on in your therapeutic career or if you have a particularly demanding caseload.

*Hawkins and Shohet (2012) Supervision in the Helping Professions. Open University Press

** Page and Wosket (2014) Supervising the Counsellor and Psychotherapist: A Cyclical Model. Routledge