COURSE STRUCTURE AND CONTENT

The course is divided into 7 lessons as follows:

Lesson 1. Introduction to Professional Supervision

• Introduction.
• Nature and scope of counselling.
• Defining supervision.
• Benefits of being supervised.
• Personal moral qualities of a counsellor.
• Case study.
• Your strengths and weaknesses.
• SWOT analysis.
• Qualities of a professional supervisor.
• Case study.

Lesson 2. Models of Supervision

• Beginning the super vision process.
• Contracts.
• Models of supervision.
• Mentoring.
• Proctors interactive model of supervision.
• Use of reflection in the theoretical framework.
• Forms of supervision: individual, group, self, agency.
• Reporting and record keeping.
• PBL: Create and present a plan with specific strategies for improving the supervision of employee’s work-related skills, attitudes, and knowledge in the workplace, based on a clear understanding of the person’s needs, values, and situation.

Lesson 3. Professionalism, Ethics, and Legal Concerns

• Introduction and ethical codes.
• Supervisor professional standards.
• Ethical decisions.
• Responsibilities of supervisors to other professionals.
• Confidentiality.
• Informed consent.
• Multicultural counselling.
• Dual relationships.
• Professional boundaries.
• Complaints.
• Professional misconduct.
• Bringing the profession into disrepute.
• Sanctions.

Lesson 4. Different Approaches to Supervision

• Relevant theories or models.
• Developmental models.
• The Professional Development Model (PDM).
• Discrimination model.
• Issues in supervision.
• What is burnout.
• What causes burnout.
• Is stress the same as burn out.
• Online counselling and supervision.
• Telephone counselling.
• E mail or online counselling.
• How does online supervision work.
• International perspectives on counselling supervision.

Lesson 5. Supervision for Different Professions.

• Introduction.
• What to look for in an effective supervisor.
• Foundations of supervision.
• Supervision policy statement.
• Case study: Supervision in social work.
• Case study: Supervision in occupational health nursing.
• Case study: Supervision in the coaching profession.
• Case study: Supervision for child safety.
• Case study: Supervision in youth work.

Lesson 6. Organisational Considerations

• Introduction.
• Self-governance, awareness and supervision.
• Defining requirements.
• Organisational dynamics.
• Team dynamics.
• Supervision and outside contractors.
• Benefits of supervision in an organisation.
• Education.

Lesson 7. Managing Supervision

• Issues in managing the process.
• Frequency and duration of supervision.
• Finance.
• Other elements.
• Motivating factors.
• Transference and counter transference.
• Power abuse.
• Selection of supervisors and supervision.
• Standardised and open methods of supervision.

COURSE AIMS

• To understand what is meant by professional supervision, why it is necessary, benefits and disadvantages.
• To define and compare different models of supervision including reciprocal mentoring, group supervision, self-supervision, and agency supervision.
• To develop an understanding of professional issues of supervision including confidentiality, ethics, quality control, and legal concerns.
• To understand and define different approaches to supervision including psychoanalytic, cognitive-behavioural, solution-orientated, process-orientated and narrative methods.
• To understand some of the different approaches applied to supervision for different professional groups.
• To understand the different requirements of providing supervision in organisations where most employees are counsellors, organisations where counsellors are in the minority, and organisations of non-counsellors.
• To identify the different managerial components of the supervision process including budgeting, monitoring frequency of supervision, selection of supervisors, and the question of standardisation.

During the course, you will also learn more about how to avoid burnout

Burnout is a psychological term that is used to describe the experience of diminished interest and long-term exhaustion that can be experienced by anyone, but particularly those who are involved in stressful professions. It is almost considered an emotional exhaustion and reduced sense of personal accomplishment. This may include feelings of exhaustion, inefficacy and cynicism, and a lack of energy.  It is important to recognise burnout in clients, but also for the life coach to recognise burnout in themselves.

Anyone working to help people overcome serious problems (e.g. as a psychologist, counsellor, or life coach), is susceptible to "burn out". 

This is obviously not something that would be helpful to the coach or the client, but will hinder, and ultimately destroy the counselling or coaching process if left unchecked.
A professional needs to be able to help the client to change, by being positive and offering encouragement.  If they are not able to do this because they are burned out from helping others, then they will not really be supportive to their clients.  

Most counsellors really enjoy their work, but it can also be stressful. This constant stress without relief can leave a professional feeling helpless and worn out.  When a person is burnt out, they may find their problems seem insurmountable.  This can threaten their business, career, their relationships and their own health.  It is important to deal with burnout as soon as a coach recognises that they have it. The longer burnout is allowed to carry on, the harder it is to break away from the feelings of burnout.  It can make a person vulnerable to illnesses such as colds, flu, and so on.  

Burnout can be due to stress, but it is not the same as feeling stressed. When we feel stressed, it is because we have too much to deal with.  People who are stressed often feel that if they get everything under control that they will feel better. Burnout is about not enough. The person may feel empty, lacking in motivation and beyond caring. They do not see any hope of positive change in their life. So they disengage from their situation and begin to feel detached and worthless.

When you operate as an individual, without any reference to other professionals; your opportunity to de-stress is limited; and your risk of not even seeing the signs of stress developing, will increase.

A Professional Supervisor Helps Avoid Burnout

When you recognise the risks of burnout, it's risk can be minimised with strategies such as:

• Starting each day with relaxing rituals - rather than jumping out of bed straight into the day, they can try writing in a journal, doing gentle stretching exercises, reading a few pages of a book.
• Try to eat healthily - certain foods and additives or preservatives can build up toxins in our bodies which may affect our daily performances and behaviours. Other substances such as caffeine have addictive properties which can cause psychological disturbances such as mood swings, as well as feelings of discomfort when levels are low in our bodies. Other foods obviously increase risks of diseases such as heart disease, ulcers, and diabetes.
• Exercise regularly - exercise not only stimulates our muscles and bodily systems, but it also encourages the brain to release endorphins which make us feel good. A healthy body promotes a healthy mind. Make time to engage in a sporting activity - this gives you the opportunity to exercise and socialise at the same time.  
• Sleep well - between seven and eight hours sleep per day is regarded by health professionals to be paramount to optimal health. 
• Set boundaries – a coach needs to be able to say “no” to requests on their time. As before, they need to set boundaries of when they are available to clients and also within their personal life. Take regular breaks in your daily work, take at least one day off per week, and take the occasional holiday.
• Take breaks from technology - you should set times when they completely disconnect from technology. This means no laptop, tablet, texting, mobile phone, phone calls, and emails.  Moving away from technology for brief periods can lead to more business, for instance you might think about a new service you wish to offer, or you might use the time to plan where you would like to go on holiday.
• Nourish your creative side – as well as allowing time for creativity, a way to avoid burnout is also to try something new, a fun project, a new hobby, things that have nothing to do with work.
• Learn how to manage stress – employ stress management techniques to reduce feelings of stress.

Professionals of all types need supervision, to help put their work in perspective. This course can help you develop the skills to supervise others who are working as counsellors, coaches, welfare officers or in other "helping" professions.

What Are the Advantages of Studying Psychology with ACS Distance Education?

• You can start at any time to suit you.
• The courses are self-paced.
• You can study when and where suits you. They are flexible to fit in around you and your lifestyle.
• It is not just a course, it is a package of learning that includes – course notes, tutor feedback, self-assessment tests, research tasks and assignments.
• Our tutors are all experts in their field, with years of experience in psychology and counselling.
• They are also keen and enthusiastic about their subject and enjoy working with students to improve their knowledge and skills.
• Courses are also updated regularly to meet the demands of the changing needs for knowledge and to keep our courses up to date.

WHAT OUR STUDENTS SAY

"The course was a valuable learning experience because it challenged my thinking regarding the application of supervision and how to apply supervision to different professions. The course exceeded my expectations, in particular because it explored other aspects of supervision such as burn-out, professionalism, ethics and legal concerns. The course has a very comprehensive approach to supervision, which makes for a more rounded supervisor."
Allan M Eno MSc (Hons) Degree, Clinical Supervisor/Manager, Harley St, London - UK, Professional Supervision course.

What Next?

Improve your professional knowledge and career prospects by moving into the field of counselling supervision. A great course for professional development and to improve your knowledge.  Learn more about counselling supervision theory, practice and ethical practice.

You can enrol today by clicking the “Enrol Now” button above.

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