In giving supervision I love to think about the detailed interactions in the here-and-now, and to think about the language and grammar of interpretation so that we can find a language that is informed by an emotional grammar, which, as it were, calibrates the containment.

When supervising I aim to foster a process of internal supervision, to be of use in further clinical work. To that end I practice with clinical moments, to consider different ways of responding and the possible implications of each. As with a musician, "playing scales" like this can help to develop a fluency in our listening when we are back with our patients.

Existential supervision is primarily relationally-attuned. The supervisor's main concern is to establish a trustworthy and respectful relationship that will enable the supervisee to explore those issues and obstacles that intrude upon his or her ability to engage openly with the client's narratives and presence. From this perspective, the focus of supervision is not on the analysis and interpretation of the client's disturbances but on the impact of therapy upon the supervisee and how this, in turn, impacts upon the therapeutic relationship.

For me, supervision is a three-way process, conscious and unconscious, of mutual learning for client, therapist and supervisor. While paying attention to the shared transferential field, I am particularly interested in trying to discern the purposive movements of objective psyche through dreams, fantasies and other symbolic material.

The supervisor may have the good fortune to stimulate a new thought in the therapist. I always tell supervisees that the best thing they can do for the patient is to speak from their own heart. If this conflicts with what the supervisor has said then stick to their own thought.

Supervision offers a safe, reflective and creative space for therapist and supervisor to explore the myriad moves in the dance of relationship and the way in which reciprocal roles are enacted in the therapy. Supervision is also a space to share hopes, joys, experiments, losses and failures connected to being a psychotherapist.

Our brochure contains information about Confer events from November 2008 to June 2009. NB this file is very large and may take time to download.

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