Pastoral Supervision

Pastoral supervision is a regular, contracted, boundaried space in which I, as the practitioner, meet with you as supervisee to look together at your work.

It can be a really helpful way to process issues around vocation, pastoral competence, and self-awareness.

This time offered is an opportunity for anyone in ministry to reflect on their work and have the support and insight of an objective person.

I am a Senior Accredited Member of the Association for Pastoral Supervision and Education and am also part of a team training Pastoral supervisors, with the Institute of Pastoral Supervision and Counselling, based in the Midlands.

I seek to offer you a safe and confidential space and I will take seriously your well-being, growth, and development in your vocation.

The focus would be on aspects of your work and we would explore, and reflect within a framework of theological understanding, aware of your work and your worldview, drawing on relevant psychological insights to understand the dynamics of relationships. We would meet about every 6-8 weeks for 1 or 1.5 hours.

It is not to be confused with line-management, counselling, mentoring or spiritual direction.

Reflective Practitioner Process Model

The model I work with generally, though I am flexible, is the reflective practitioner process model (see right), first put forward by Hawkins and Shohet, named by them as the 7 eyed Process model of Supervision and adapted by IPCS** for their training as 7+1 model, adding the 8th eye, The story and activity of God. The characteristics of this model are that it is relational, is relevant to a range of contexts and levels of experience, learning can happen at any point, relies on the insights of both supervisee and supervisor, increases psychological insight and includes acknowledgement of unconscious processes, develops theological understanding and acumen, increases competence and further professional development and makes room for review of effectiveness, safety and ethical working.

Hawkins and Shohet (OUP 2000) **IPCS Institute of Pastoral Counselling and Supervision. (not to be used without permisssion)