Counselling Supervision and Mentoring

For hundreds of years the learning of arts, trades and other professions has incorporated on-the-job guidance or apprenticeships. In some occupations this is still the case today, while in other occupations the learning now consists merely of education, which leads to a degree or a formal qualification. Once you have graduated and received your “piece of paper”, however, you are typically left to your own devices, feeling lost as to what to do next.

If you apply for employment the situation may not be too bad, since your employer then will take over the learning process, and teach you what you need to know to actually do the job. If you are employed as a counsellor, your employer will generally also provide the counselling supervision that you need. But not always.

Counselling Supervision (PACFA accredited)

If you are employed as a counsellor or psychotherapist, your employer probably provides counselling supervision as part of your employment. Sometimes, however, this may not be suitable. The quality of the counselling supervision may not be what you require. Or the counselling supervisor may not be the right person for your needs.

If you are a counsellor in private practice, and hence counselling supervision is not provided by an employer, you will need to find your own counselling supervisor, as supervision is a professional requirement for all counsellors and psychotherapists in private practice.

The counselling supervision that I provide draws on over 25 years of professional experience as a counsellor and psychotherapist. Nevertheless, providing effective counselling supervision is a skill of its own, that does not automatically develop from counselling experience. It requires specific training and practice.

You can read more about the PACFA accredited counselling supervision that I provide to counsellors and psychotherapists on this page: Clinical Supervision.

Mentoring for counsellors

If you have the confidence as a newly graduated counsellor, you may go straight into private practice. Or, you may choose to seek employment with an organisation at first, to develop your skills under the guidance of people with more experience. Still, counsellors and psychotherapists who have been in employment for a number of years, commonly reach a point where they want to move into private practice.

When you want to start private practice you will face a whole range of practicalities that are new to you, many of which you may never have thought about. If you have been working as a counsellor for an organisation, most of these practicalities have been taken care of for you. If you are newly graduated, you may have been given a few hints as part of your training, but will most likely find that this is far from sufficient.

Either way, if you are a counsellor and/or psychotherapist and you are considering going into private practice, or are in the process of setting up private practice, you will surely find it valuable to have guidance and support from someone who has been in private practice for more than 25 years!

Read more about what is involved in setting up private practice, and about mentoring for counsellors and psychotherapists on this page: Mentoring

Mentoring and Counselling supervision in Brisbane or On-line

If you are not looking for mentoring and counselling supervision in Brisbane, I can still provide you with these services, either over the phone or online (via Skype).