Online Supervision

What is Online Supervision?

Online Supervision is a contracted, confidential relationship where the focus of discussion is the supervisee’s work. This relationship gives opportunity to reflect on the themes arising in the work, to explore new perspectives and consider possible ways to proceed. It also promotes professional development and self-care, and helps ensure that the supervisee is working in line with the law and ethically in the best interests of their clients. Online supervision simply means that the majority (or entirety) of the meetings take place remotely - either online and/or by telephone.

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Who do you work with?

I supervise therapists and other professionals based across the UK as well as in a number of other countries too. If you are based outside the UK then please contact me to discuss whether we can work together (with due regard for the relevant law in our respective countries). I supervise work which is happening face-to-face, work which is happening online, and a blend of the two.

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What style of supervision do you offer?

I aim to build an accepting and empathic relationship so you feel secure enough to be honest and talk freely about your work. I will encourage you to both celebrate successes and explore challenging situations or dilemmas. Usually supervision sessions take the form of a discussion relating to your counselling practice, with a mutually agreed focus, reflecting on one or more aspects of your work. What we talk about is up to you and, at each meeting, I will ask you what you want to get out of the discussion. I see my role as primarily helping you to reflect; to offer you new perspectives and guidance if you are stuck; and to support you to develop professionally in line with your own aims and values.

Sometimes supervisees wish to share transcripts or recordings of their work with me and we reflect on these directly together (it is up to you as to whether you want to do this). With more experienced practitioners, I enjoy sometimes using creative materials and techniques to enrich clinical thinking. I am an accredited member of the BACP and supervise with reference to the BACP’s Ethical Framework. 

I use two theoretical models of supervision to help guide my thinking and structure discussions. I use Hawkins and Shohet’s* 7 eyed model to help me consider the relevant dynamics of all the relationships which may be affecting your work; and Page and Wosket’s** Cyclical Model to routinely structure supervision sessions.

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*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

Can you tell me something about your background and qualifications?

I have been supervising therapists since 2013 and have worked with a wide range of professionals. These have included:

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• trainee and qualified therapists, both individually and in groups
   

• therapists working with children, young people, families and adults
   

• therapists from a variety of theoretical orientations including Person-Centred, Psychodynamic, Integrative, Gestalt, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Art Therapy and Drama Therapy
   

• therapists working in schools, private practice, counselling organisations and charities
   

• professionals in related fields such as teachers, coaches and support workers. 

Words used to describe me from some of the therapists I have supervised within a workplace counselling setting.

I am a humanistic integrative counsellor and psychotherapist. I hold a Master’s degree in Counselling and Psychotherapy from the University of East London and a BACP endorsed Level 6 Certificate in Therapeutic Counselling Supervision from the Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body (CPCAB).

I am a Certified Cyber Therapist and a Certified Clinical Cyber Supervisor, having completed substantial training through the Online Therapy Institute on counselling and supervising online and by telephone.

I am an Accredited Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (MBACP Accred) and a Professional Member of the Association for Counselling and Therapy Online (ACTO).

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You can find more information about me here.

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How can I arrange supervision with you?

You can contact me or book online to arrange an initial discussion of up to 30 minutes. We can speak by telephone, online audio or video - whichever feels most comfortable for you. In this conversation we will consider together what is prompting you to seek supervision at the moment, whether my style of supervision is likely to be helpful for you, approximately how much supervision you need and whether we both have availability to be able to meet regularly. The conversation is free of charge.

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If we agree that supervision sessions together are both do-able and likely to be helpful, then I will email you an assessment form to complete and return by email, along with a copy of my standard supervision contract and privacy statement for you to read. We will also agree a time/day for a one-off assessment appointment, usually held by online video. This assessment appointment lasts for up to 60 minutes and is charged for (please see up to date information on fees). The assessment appointment involves discussing one or two aspects of your work in more depth to trial how it feels for us both to work together. From this we can make a more informed judgment about whether we want to go ahead and meet on a regular basis. 

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If we agree to continue to work together then I will email you a supervision contract and a privacy statement for you to read and sign electronically using the Frama RMail system. The terms of these include those found on the Terms of Use and Privacy pages on this site.

Once the paperwork is completed, we will agree when to meet for regular supervision sessions. These can be scheduled to suit you and can either be at the same time/day on a regular basis, or can be scheduled as and when needed to fit around other commitments.​

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Do you supervise trainee therapists?

Yes. I have many years’ experience supervising trainee therapists from a range of therapeutic orientations and training organisations. When working with trainees, I will ask you to ensure my 4-way signed agreement is in place with your course tutor and placement manager(s). I am willing to support trainee therapists by completing course and registration/regulatory body paperwork. For paperwork which takes longer than 15 minutes to complete, I do charge for the time it takes me based on a pro-rata of your usual session fee.

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Are you available in an emergency?

I usually work Monday – Thursday. At some point on these days, I am usually available to speak on the telephone or by email if a supervisee needs to discuss an aspect of their work urgently. I do charge for conversations which last 15 minutes or longer based on a pro-rata of the supervisee’s usual session fee.

How regularly do I need to come?

There is not a straightforward answer to this! It is important to meet regularly (monthly at a minimum) as this is key to building a trusting relationship. Supervision meetings can be 60, 90 and 120 minutes long, and can be either weekly, fortnightly or monthly. There are a number of factors to take into consideration when deciding how much supervision to have including:

• the size and weight of your caseload
   

• your professional registration body’s requirements
   

• whether you have other supervisory arrangements in place (e.g. peer supervision, supervision through a course, another supervisor for an aspect of your work)
   

• how experienced you are
   

• your personal circumstances

Do you work with groups?​

I see small groups of supervisees for joint supervision. If you are part of a group who are interested in exploring this option please contact me to discuss your situation.

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What records do you keep?

Brief notes of all sessions are held securely on electronic and paper-based systems, and your data is available for you to view on request. You can view my Privacy Policy and a copy will be emailed to you before and discussed at the initial assessment appointment. Paper Plane Counselling is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office and my systems comply with the Data Protection Act 2018 and General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).