Self disclosure in clinical supervision

My attitude to self-disclosure has changed a lot over my 25 year career. I rarely used to use self-disclosure in therapy and tried not to bring too much of myself into the supervision space. While there has been a gradual shift in this over the years, being an author and series editor for the Coping With…. book series, in which clinical psychologists share their expertise for the lay audience on a topic they have personal experience of, really challenged some of my old beliefs. And I now believe
it to be an essential part of supervision for a number of reasons:

1. We are human
   We all have stuff going on in our own lives that can impact how we show up at work. We tend to be very good at compartmentalising and perhaps putting on a mask, so that we can continue to work effectively with our clients. As a supervisor I feel it is important for me to be aware of significant issues supervisees are facing so that I can help them to consider to what extent they are able to continue to offer a good service without negatively impacting their own wellbeing. I also believe supervision should be a space for the supervisee to consider their own physical and emotional wellbeing and to ensure they are using appropriate coping mechanisms and taking the time off from work they need to recuperate and re-energise. I also aim to model my own humanness; sharing my own mistakes and personal vulnerabilities, while ensuring the focus is on the supervisee and maintaining a safe and contained space.

   
   

2. We have to know our own stuff
   Being open about our own struggles in supervision can help us to become more aware of what can get activated in the therapy room. As a supervisor, I can offer reflections on patterns I observe in terms of what a supervisee brings to supervision and how that may relate to their own personal experience as well as their professional skills and knowledge. Having an insight into a supervisees’ own life experiences can help me to reflect with them about whether certain cases may be appropriate for them to take on and where there might be boundary complexities.

   
   

3. We have to consider the dynamics within the therapeutic relationship
   Even if we are not working psychodynamically, we have to be mindful of the dynamics of therapy. When facing our own struggles, we may find it more difficult to recognise our emotional responses to the client and how our current circumstances may be impacting that. HCPC complaints often relate to therapeutic boundaries, but having discussed such issues within supervision can help to protect the supervisee from falling foul of professional regulations.

   
   

4. But supervision is not therapy
   But I am always clear that supervision is not therapy and will ensure that boundary
   is held. I have on occasion suggested the supervisee seek therapy where I have felt
   this is necessary, but more often encouraged them to use their existing network to
   gain support. A quick review of their coping strategies can also be helpful. But the increased understanding of their struggles will enable me to better support them in supervision moving forward and ultimately help them to work more effectively with
   their clients. Supervising others is one of the things I value most about my practice. I love to help others to develop in their work, to achieve good outcomes with their clients and to create a working life that they enjoy. I believe sharing more of oneself in supervision is a vital component to this and nurtures an open and supportive supervisory relationship.
   
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