Aspects of Supervisee Self

By Julie McDonald 

This resource has been devised to inquire into the aspects of self as they relate to the supervisees concerning their work with those they support.

It is based on the premise that each human being is an interconnected system of the brain, heart, and gut and that the mind mediates communication between them. The challenge for all of us is to engage the mind with awareness, promote communication between these parts of ourselves, and bring harmony to the whole human body.

In supervision, the supervisee and client can engage fully in the session to inquire about their work experience.

Self-knowledge refers to one’s mental states, processes, and dispositions. It is a broad term that refers to the awareness of one’s feelings, perceptions, attributes, motivations, and abilities, which are dynamic and constantly changing, just as one is.

Self-management is managing personal thoughts, emotions, and behaviours to inform our responses positively. The term underpins one’s capacity to consider and determine one's actions autonomously, reflecting one's moral values and ethics.

Self-confidence refers to having a positive sense of oneself in the world. It is one’s belief in oneself, one’s abilities, and one's moral code. Self-confidence reflects a positive attitude about one’s skills and abilities and how one conducts oneself.

Self-trust is the assurance to take risks and have confidence in one’s judgements. It is guided by the confidence acquired over time in one’s own experience of intuition, enabling one to be free to go with one's gut instincts and respond flexibly, sometimes against convention and expectations.

Self-protection is preserving one’s physical, psychological and emotional well-being. It is demonstrated through knowing one’s rights while effectively reading situations, setting boundaries and communicating one’s needs and expectations in interactions with others.

Self-care Is the commitment to practice and engage in activities to maintain emotional, social and spiritual health. Self-care validates personal needs and honours one’s beliefs to remain faithful to oneself. Attending to one’s needs minimises stress and enhances positive emotion.

Mutual respect demonstrates the willingness to honour the experience and views of others in contrast to one’s own. It is the capacity to find the balance between being assertive and considerate in communication and balancing one’s needs with those of someone else. It is also the willingness to listen and express empathy.