Why Should I Have Supervision?

If you are a health professional, you’re no doubt familiar with the idea of supervision, also called ‘clinical’ or ‘professional’ supervision. But why should you make the effort to use your limited time and financial resources to find a supervisor and attend regular sessions? With record numbers of health professionals experiencing burnout and/or leaving their profession, I think the more important question is - can you afford not to have supervision? 

Contrary to the dictionary meaning of the word supervision, the type of supervision I’m talking about isn’t about a supervisor who watches over you, waiting for you to make a mistake and reprimanding you when it happens. Supervision in health care is - or should be - a supportive practice that has you, the health care worker, and your wellbeing, as central to the work. Supervision is a learning partnership between the supervisor and supervisee, a safe space for supervisees to celebrate their workplace wins and seek support for their professional challenges. The supervisor is not an all-knowing expert but a skilled and trained facilitator and guide. The idea is that if the supervisee - the clinician - is looked after, they will do great work with their clients - the other main goal of supervision. 

At this point you might be thinking - well, I get supervision from my boss at work, I don’t need to seek additional external supervision. And I hear you. Internal supervision can be fantastic for debriefing, celebrating wins, and some of the more operational functions of supervision, however, it can be tricky when your supervisor is also the person who does your annual appraisal and/or pays your wages (this is called a dual relationship). Can you be one hundred percent honest with an internal supervisor, about the difficult feelings surrounding some aspects of your work? Maybe. Don’t get me wrong, I know that in the real world, internal supervision is sometimes the only option, and that’s ok, but if you can access external supervision with an appropriately trained and skilled supervisor that avoids the risks of a dual relationship, you can reap the rewards. I like to say that this type of supervision is almost like insurance for your career - you will feel supported, have less stress at work, have better work/life boundaries, have better professional relationships, and do better clinical work. 

So, when you’re ready, join us at Supervisory (it’s always free for supervisees) and search our list of supervisors to find your perfect professional support match.