Reflective, Creative, and Collaborative

Professional Pastoral Supervision offers a safe, non-judgmental, and yet brave space, to reflect on and discuss with a trained practitioner, how a person is experiencing their given role. Supervision conversations are reflective, creative, and collaborative. They operate in a facilitated process which provides opportunities to explore agreed situations from different perspectives, to listen deeply, to discern and choose practical next steps.

Professional pastoral supervision has been described as the intentional dialogue between soul, role and context (Paterson).

JISA Supervisors

JISA Supervisors work with individuals and groups, in-person and online. They are trained, accredited and ethical professionals, who are in good standing as a Supervisor with JISA, and within a professional association, such as the Australasian Association of Supervision (AAOS). AAOS accredited Supervisors have additional experience as part of their Community of Practice and ongoing professional development.

The benefits of supervision are supportive and life-giving. They enable a person to recognise, cherish and respond to God’s calling in their work life, to discover possibilities for growth and flourishing, always with accountability to the ethical and professional standards of their profession and service of others.

One way to understand professional supervision, is that it serves three functions, like a three-legged stool. (Inskipp and Proctor) It is formative, or educative; has a restorative and supportive purpose; and is also normative, dealing with administrative, managerial, boundary and ethical issues. A supervisee might bring to supervision a work-related experience which is focused in one or more of these functions.

Supervision is a vital part of maintaining health and wellbeing to be able to fulfil successfully one’s professional role. It helps to identify core values, to understand oneself better and to reflect on one’s responses to situations. Time is taken to consider things from different perspectives. Supervision helps people to thrive in their role, to discover what they love to do, how to make good choices, have good boundaries and practise holistic self-care.

Good supervision

  • includes the experience of hospitality and unconditional positive regard
  • occurs regularly, in person, or online, with an agreed frequency and meeting duration (usually 60 minutes)
  • involves preparation by the supervisee, who brings a specific matter or situation, to discuss and reflect on, to bring maximum benefit to each session.
  • is facilitated by the supervisor who ensures that the process of supervision occurs using a variety of supervision models, tools and resources.
  • keeps the supervisee and their agenda at the centre
  • is built on relationship, ethics, trust and appropriate confidentiality
  • is not about giving advice, fixing, performance, surveillance or snooping
  • welcomes vulnerability as a gift
  • interrupts practice and questions assumptions
  • chases insight
  • involves reflection on the past, in the present, to discern future practical steps

We also offer Ignatian Spiritual Accompaniment or Direction

Explore here

References:

Inskipp, F., & Proctor, B. (1993) The Art, Craft and Tasks of Counselling Supervision, Part 1: Making the most of Supervision (1st ed.).

Dr John Lee, If it’s not Super, it’s not Supervision. Supporting Principals and Educational Leaders.

Susan Marcuccio, Perspective Supervision.

Michael Paterson, The Institute of Pastoral Supervision & Reflective Practice (UK, Europe, Australia).