Rachel | 10 Questions to Ask Your Super-Visor

 What are ten questions you recommend coaches, mentors, supervisors and healthcare professionals should ask when selecting a super-visor?

  1. What motivates you to work with professional colleagues as a reflective practice super-visor?
  2. What is your super-vision style and approach and how does it fit with my learning style and needs?
  3. What theoretical models / philosophies / models underpin your practice as a super-visor?
  4. Which code(s) of ethics do you subscribe to and how do you handle ethical/legal issues that may arise in super-vision? 
  5. What is your experience supervising coaches/healthcare professionals similar to me?  Would you be willing to share feedback you have received from supervisees like me?  
  6. What are your credentials and qualifications?  How do they relate to my coaching/healthcare practice?
  7. What is your availability for super-vision, and what is your preferred mode of communication?
  8. What are the pros and cons of one-to-one and group super-vision and which would you recommend for me?
  9. What are your continuing professional development practices as they relate to your own learning and growth as a super-visor?
  10. How does super-vision with you work in practice?  e.g. Do you have a written super-vision agreement?  If so, could we go through it together?  How do you handle confidentiality in your super-vision relationships?  How do you provide feedback and support for my professional development and growth? What is the typical format of your one-to-one and group super-vision sessions?

Rachel's responses to the questions posed above.  

What motivates you to be a SUPER-VISOR?

As an experienced pharmacist, I have been deeply influenced by ethical standards of professionalism, a scientific approach to uncovering truth, and a deep appreciation of the importance of the relationship between healthcare provider and patient to the health and wellbeing of both parties, and a passion for life-long learning.

As a seasoned, credentialed coach (EMCC and ICF), I provide my clients with a reflective space for new thinking to emerge.  I am fascinated by the links between pharmacist and coaching competencies, lifestyle medicine, the science of motivation, leadership performance, adult learning principles, neuroscience, neurobiology, positive psychology, cognitive behavioural therapy, sustainable behaviour change and spirituality.

As a mother of three teenagers and a RYT-500 yoga teacher and practitioner, I bring a whole-person, whole-system perspective to our personal, professional, community, organisational and global health, wellbeing, growth and development. 

As a super-visor, I recognise the critical value of providing a confidential reflective space for busy practitioners to PAUSE, and partner with a colleague to acknowledge their strengths, deepen their professional mastery, reveal unconscious bias, explore ethical dilemmas and focus on replenishing their own wellbeing, so that they can be of better and better service to the clients and systems they serve.  Without this space, well-intended practitioners are at risk of not noticing early signs of burn-out and increasing the risk of errors of judgement.

What is your vision of SUPER-VISION, your philosophy?

I envision super-vision as a collaborative learning space to deepen reflective practice, where supervisor and supervisee(s) work together to shine a light on strengths and blind-spots for the sake of growth and development of the individual and the profession in which they practice.

I embrace an integrative approach to super-vision, drawing on different philosophies, different competency frameworks, supervision in different professions (cross-professional supervision) so that we can expand perspectives and learn from and with one another. 

I see super-vision as a core enabler of developing ethical maturity of practitioners, through reflective practice. 

 Ultimately, super-vision for practitioners in healthcare or in coaching provides a space to connect to and develop a growth-mindset, stay connected to our humanity and prevent burn-out, compassion fatigue, complacency and hubris.

What theoretical underpinning principles shape your practice/model? 

There are a number of theoretical principles that come to mind which under-pin my super-vision practice/model. 

  • Adult learning theory recognises that adult learnings have different learning needs, preferences, motivations and experiences and promotes a tailored approach.
  • Reflective practice is a fundamental component of super-vision and CPD which aims to analyse an experience or situation in order to create new understandings, and ultimately develop greater self-awareness.  New awareness can help us break destructive patterns that are obstacles to professional growth.
  • Humanistic theory as a foundation for exploring and deepening trust and intimacy in the supervisee/supervisor relationship, the coach/coachee relationship 
  • Positive psychology and strengths based approach to support supervisees to overcome challenges and enhance resilience, optimism and hope.
  • Mindfulness practices to support coaching presence and embody a coaching mindset.
  • Systems theory to explore how a supervisee’s or their client’s behaviour could be influenced by the wider social context.
  • Self-determination theory to support focus on autonomy, competence and relatedness.
  • Cognitive behavioural theory, that explores the relationship between thoughts, behaviours and emotions.
  • Transactional Analysis and the Drama Triangle, especially for supervision around relational dynamics.
  • Growth-mindset theory provides a framework for promoting continuous learning and development, fostering resilience, encouraging constructive feedback and a focus on the process of self-development and growth.
  • Psycho-dynamic theory in coaching supervision can help explore the coach’s inner processes and how they might impact on their coaching practice.  Parallel process, transference and counter-transference, saboteurs, projection and exploration of unconscious biases may be included.
  • Group dynamic theories including Tuckman’s stages of group development, group-think and their impact on critical thinking and psychological safety.
  • Psychological safety is essential to create a supportive, constructive and non-judgemental learning environment.  Attachment theory, social identity theory, self-determination theory and inter-personal neurobiology can all play their part in supporting psychological safety in super-vision.
  • Models I incorporate into 4Front's 6Ps of Professional Excellence Model in super-vision include Johari’s window, Hawkin’s Seven Eyed Model and Passmore & Stokes Reflective Learning Model, Positive Intelligence 3S Mental Fitness Framework, and Karpman’s Drama Triangle & Empowerment Triangle.  

How has your practice as a Super-Visor evolved and developed so far?

I am curious and am increasingly more willing to ask challenging questions to clarify assumptions.  If I have to make assumptions, I assume positive intent.  I find my super-vision practice is becoming more and more systemic in focus as I continue to evolve.

Initially my super-vision practice focused on one to one supervisees.  This progressed to offering Group Super-Vision, which I find an incredibly rewarding, deepening and enriching experience for all involved.  I also participate in peer group super-vision with a group of ICF-MCC coaches, group super-vision of supervision with three graduates of International Centre for Coaching Super-vision (ICCS) and group super-vision of mental health coaching clients with a therapist.  Being both supervisee and super-visor in different settings and different groups continually sharpens my skills and ability as a super-visor.

How do you understand and apply the Ethical Frameworks to which you and your supervisees subscribe? 

Professional Standards, Codes of Ethics and Professional Practice affiliations of your Super-Visor

I see codes of ethics as frameworks for helping us avoid compromising behaviours and helping us to make difficult life and work decisions, specifically as it applies to our practice as healthcare professionals, coaches, super-visors and mentors. 

I see them as frameworks for deepening my own and my supervisees’ understanding of how ethical principles apply to our ethical practices, ethical maturity, ethical decision making, ethical sensitivity, uncovering and exploring (often unconscious) biases and for navigating ethical dilemmas to a point where we can find peace and sustainability in our chosen path.  

Each of the codes of ethics or codes of conduct to which I subscribe help me to explore and navigate scope of practice challenges with supervisees, cross-professional boundaries to navigate and potential conflicts of interest.

My awareness and practice in integrating different codes of ethics has deepened my interest and ability to encompass a variety of frameworks to assist supervisees and myself to objectively identify, assess and evaluate our ethical processes to support conscious, ethical decision making.

Codes of ethics give me lenses through which I can scan for potential breaches, dilemmas and deficits in ethical conduct.  While many people see codes of ethics as providing minimum standards of behaviour, I see codes of ethics as an inspiration for deep practical philosophical dialogue towards trust-based, rather than rule-based ethical behaviour, as we navigate competing priorities and complex situations.   

A question I like to ask is ‘If we were to consider at least five possible ethical dilemmas in this situation, what potential ethical dilemmas could there be?’ 

What do your supervisees most appreciate about you as a super-visor? 

As a super-visor, I have a depth and breadth of training and experience which I can draw upon in service of my supervisees, their clients and the entire system.  My supervisees consistently report that I have a number of strengths that they find add value during our super-vision relationship.  These include

  • my ability to hold a big picture, systemic perspective,
  • my willingness to test assumptions and explore alternative hypotheses with my supervisees and
  • my openness to sharing and eliciting observations we are making, feelings we are experiencing and learnings we are gaining with my supervisees in service of creating win-win-wins, positive ripple effects throughout the entire system.

Each supervision session (as supervisor and as supervisee) deepens my trust in myself, trust in my supervisees and trust in the process of super-vision.  My journey towards coaching mastery and ethical maturity includes continually sharpening my saw on my journey towards super-vision mastery – as super-visor, supervisee and 'Pharmacist Coach' practitioner.

Feedback | Supervision of Group Supervision

Supervisor comments (Dr Kerryn Griffiths PCC, Reciprocoach)

  ‘I loved the way you used the language of G… throughout the session i.e. “heat and heart”. You did this a few times and then even J…. also built on this adding “humour”. It was a great thread to follow through in the session. I loved also the “3 offers for you to receive G….”. You held a beautiful space in which the participants were involved to reflect and learn. I learnt a lot from this session myself and am grateful for the opportunity to be there. Thank you Rachel’.

Feedback from Supervisees

I appreciated the space to reflect on practice and consider the questions offered by group members. Ideas on how to implement insights - e.g. integrate more invitational/permission conversations into coaching practice. Learning from issues discussed during session.
uestions that invited reflection and yielded insights to expand perspectives on the issue particularly useful.  Thank you Rachel for your super-vision. The session felt open, spacious and engaging. It was structured in a way that allowed the issues to become clearer, in addition to producing ideas of how to apply this learning to coaching practice. I hope our paths cross again. (Jennifer)

It helped me realise a subconscious thought that I brought unconsciously to my coaching session. (Ellen)

iggest takeaway was that we are all learning, all the time. As professionals, we can always see different perspectives and the wider context.  I particularly valued how you invited us to share our own learnings and ask clarifying questions of the person with the case.  (Katrina)
 
This (group) super-vision was highly valuable.  It's reinforced the notion that being able to share my challenges with other coaches in structured coaching super-vision can bring deeper awareness that opens up my approach and thinking about my thinking.  I really liked the question round without needing to answer each one and then hone into what's important to me. Questions in themselves are already triggering new thought processes. There is not always the need to speak it in language.  Rachel navigates the coaching super-vision session very well. Her relaxed and caring style together with good structure and process works well in combination. Clarifying questions and offerings and the distinction between them at different points of the exploration helps with our thinking processes. Thank you very much, Rachel, for holding such a beautiful space for us to explore and dig deeper. (Grace)
 
 
Rachel, thank you for beautifully facilitating the group super-vision session. The pace and space were ideal. It was my first group super-vision session and I'm looking forward to more.  What I found most valuable was hearing other colleagues unpack their learning process in the group and different perspectives being offered. (Sadia)
 
 
What are your qualifications / credentials as a super-visor for healthcare professionals, coaches, mentors and super-visors?
 
As a pharmacist & healthcare professional, I am a Member of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland.  I hold a Masters Degree in Pharmacy, Post-Graduate Diploma in Quality Assurance and I am a Scholar of Trinity College Dublin (1993).  This entailed 4 years of under-graduate study and 3 years of post-graduate study in addition to an intern year. 
 
As a coach, I hold the credential of Master Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation (ICF-MCC) and am an ICF approved Mentor Coach.  The ICF-MCC credential is the most prestigious coaching credential globally, and requires coaches to meet stringent criteria including extensive coaching experience, demonstrated mastery of the ICF core competencies, completion of advanced coach-specific trianing and passing a rigorous performance evaluation and written examination. 
 
As a mentor, I hold the credential of Senior Practitioner with the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC EIA-SP).  The EIA-SP is a mark of excellence, highly regarded by clients, employers and coaching peers.  It requires mentors to submit a portfolio of evidence that demonstrates experience, excellence and professionalism including training, client hours, client feedback, case studies, super-vision and other reflective practices. 

As a super-visor, I hold the credential of Super-Visor with the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC ESIA).  The ESIA credential is designed for experienced coaching supervisors who have achieved a high level of competence and proficiency in super-vision practice. The Diploma in Coaching Super-Vision I completed with the International Centre for Coaching Super-Vision is accredited by three accrediting organisations - EMCC, ICF and AC.  

As 'The Pharmacist Coach' these qualifications and credentials attest to decades of experience, tens of thousands of hours of professional practice and thousands of hours of training, reflective practice and personal and professional development, all of which is at your service.

What is your availability for super-vision, and what is your preferred mode of communication?
Clients usually book an initial call via my calendar.  If we agree to work together, we will agree a default-diary date and time for our sessions going forward. 
All group and one-to-one super-vision sessions are held on zoom, unless by prior alternative arrangement. 
In between sessions, all my group and one-to-one clients have access to me via the Private Client Portal.  Other communication modes are agreed on a case-by-case basis.
 
What are the pros and cons of one-to-one and group super-vision and which would you recommend for me?
 
Group Super- Vision Pros (small groups of 3-5 participants)
  1. Shared Learning:  Supervisees can share their experiences, successes, challenges and dilemmas with each other, which can lead to expanded insights and learning.
  2. Diversity of Perspectives: Supervisees bring different perspectives, experiences and styles, which can provide a rich learning environment and offer a broader range of feedback and support. 
  3. Sense of Community and Support: Being in a learning community both in and between sessions reduces a sense of professional isolation and increases the sense that 'we have each others' back.'
  4. Promotes Critical Thinking and Questioning: By offering different perspectives, group super-vision allows supervisees to challenge existing beliefs, biases or assumptions, shine a light on where we are being unduly self-critical, and provide an opportunity for collaborative learning and exchange of varied perspectives.  

Group Super-Vision Cons

  1. Scheduling and Coordination: The timing of available group super-vision sessions may not suit your schedule.
  2. Reduced Individual Attention: While 1-2 supervisees will get to focus on their 'case' each month, the focus is on the group as a whole.  
  3. Hesitancy in Sharing Sensitive Information: While all groups members are expected to maintain confidentiality, each super-vision group will discuss exactly what that means within their specific group context.  At times, a supervisee may choose not to bring sensitive topics to group super-vision and instead request a one-to-one session, by separate arrangement. 
  4. Power Dynamics / Group Dynamics may not always be constructive: A super-vision group depends on the ability of each member of the group to hold each other with respect, non-judgement and compassion.  If there is a lack of psychological safety within the group, supervisees may hold back on bringing their real challenges and dilemmas for discussion. 
 
One-to-One Super-Vision Pros
  1. Flexibility: Logistics is limited to coordinating just two people's calendars! 
  2. Individualised attention: Supervisees receive individualised attention and feedback from the supervisor, which can be tailored to their specific needs and challenges.
  3. Confidentiality: One-to-one supervision sessions provide a safe and supportive environment for supervisees to discuss sensitive or personal issues or dilemmas.
  4. Helps identify blind-spots or biases: Reflection-ON-action with a super-visor can expand thinking beyond a current stuck-point to include additional perspectives.
  5. Provides opportunity for collaborative learning: Both super-visor and supervisee can partner together to co-create a learning experience tailored to the supervisee's unique learning style and desired outcomes. 
 
One-to-One Super-Vision Cons
  1. Limited learning from others: Supervisees may not have the opportunity to learn from others in the same way as they would in a group setting. 
  2. Higher financial investment: One-to-one services generally cost more that one-to-several services

What are your continuing professional development practices as they relate to your own learning and growth as a super-visor?

My approach to my super-vision CPD includes connecting with opportunities for reflective practice with other cross-professional super-visors and practitioners.  For example:

  • As a Certified Mental Fitness Coach, I am a member of the Positive Intelligence (PQ) Mastery Programme.  As a community, we meet bi-monthly to learn together, support each other and navigate dilemmas through a PQ lens.  
  • I am a member of the ICCS alumni super-vision community and attend graduate super-vision trainings on themes and topics relevant to super-vision.
  • I am an active member of the ICF Coaching Super-Vision Community of Practice, which meets quarterly to provide training and super-vision experiences.
  • I am a member of the Reciprocoach Super-visor Team, which gives me the opportunity for attending bi-annual super-visor development training and also observation of my group super-vision by a coaching supervisor, with developmental feedback.
  • I participate in group coaching super-vision at least monthly, in three contexts – super-vision of my practice within a health context, super-vision of my super-vision and peer super-vision with other ICF-MCC coaches. 
  • Because I am based in Ireland and many of my super-vision clients adhere to more than one code of professional ethics, I have also joined the Supervision Association of Ireland, which attracts cross-professional super-visors.

As 'The Pharmacist Coach' my CPD practices empower, equip, enable and engage me to continually elevate my mindset, skillset and action-set, for the sake of being of optimal value to you, so that we can all serve ourselves, our clients/patients, our colleagues, our professions and the communities we serve to increasingly high standards of professionalism, ethical maturity and personal and workplace wellbeing. 

How does super-vision with you work in practice? 

  • Super-vision supports three core functions of professional practice - formative (education/mentoring), normative (accountability/ethical practice) and restorative (support).  Super-vision sessions typically include reflection on one or more of these areas of professional practice.  
  • All supervisees have an opportunity to reflect upon and share what would be most valuable to bring to the super-vision session in my 'super-vision prep form.'  
  • All supervisees have the opportunity to reflect upon and share their super-vision learnings and implementation intentions in my 'super-vision post-session reflection form.'
  • All sessions are hosted virtually on Zoom, unless otherwise agreed. 
  • One-to-One Coaching Super-Vision session format is co-created between the Super-Visor and the Supervisee and usually 50 mins duration.
  • Group Coaching Super-vision (Min 3, Max 6 members) for 90 min sessions.
    • Procedure:  The Group meets on the date(s) specified for 90 minutes in a dedicated Zoom room, which I, as your Group Supervisor, will provide. (an online meeting room with video and audio support – see www.zoom.us for more info).
    • Format:  The format of our meetings are open to be negotiated by The Group as to provide best value but generally adhere to the following structure:
  1. First, we will get to know each other as to build rapport (in on-going group super-vision, we'll start sessions with a quick check in of each member). If you join an existing group these introductions may happen outside of contracted supervision space.
  2. For casual group super-vision (one-off sessions) and for the first group super-vision session of an ongoing group, co-creating The Group agreement takes time, and in these sessions, typically ONE supervisee will present a supervision scenario from their client work and the other supervisees will engage co-create the learning experience under the guidance of the Super-Visor.  
  3. In ongoing super-vision groups there will typically be two slots of roughly 30mins during which The Group will focus all their attention on the presenting coach/mentor. I will facilitate an exploration and we will pause regularly to make space for observations, questions, comments or suggestions from The Group. The presenting coach may choose to engage with any or all of what The Group offers or move on with their exploration.
  4. We tend to close with the opportunity to state conclusions, goals or intentions to The Group for accountability and inspiration.

If you are interested in super-vision with me, CLICK HERE to book a call or email me at rachel@racheldungan.com. 

Based on our conversation, we can review and tailor my standard, written super-vision agreement.  Among other topics, this agreement includes financial investment, time commitment, confidentiality responsibilities and constraints and each of our responsibilities as super-visor and supervisee, logistics etc.  

Book your 30 minute no obligation 'Next STEPS Strategy Session'.