Caring for the Self who supervises

A Reflection by Marcel Koper

Good Supervision Matters hosted the renowned Michael Paterson recently for two separate days of training for supervisors. We attended to the self who practices supervision. It was profound for me to observe the ease and grace with which Michael showcased how to supervise with a clear boundary each time and insight for both supervisee and supervisor. 

I have been involved with supervision for over 20 years, conducted extensive research and trained others to be supervisors. I have been craving this level of quality of professional development to help deepen and extend myself as a supervisor in practice. It made me realise again why Julie, Joan and I started Good Supervision matters. One big factor is that we really need quality professional development.

While witnessing Michael Paterson weave his craft, I was inspired by the energy and creativity of people’s work with him. It was invigorating to witness and experience this form of supervision. My lingering thoughts went to the amount of time my supervision practice involves attending to people’s self-care and actual or potential burnout. I asked Michael his thoughts about self-care in supervision and he agreed from personal experience that burn out is a significant concern. 

I also know from personal experience of burnout, that attending to the basics of self-care is essential. I know that exercise, diet, sleep, socialising, a good dose of nature, meditation and fun are important.  Equally we all know that it isn’t normal to come home from our working day feeling exhausted. If you think about your energy levels being like a fuel tank, it’s important to put into the tank as much, if not more, as has been taken out. I’d encourage the seemingly radical paradigm of keeping our internal fuel tank between half and full. 

When Julie and I were preparing for our upcoming workshop on self-care, we felt that we didn’t wish to rehash what people already know about self-care. I have heard frustration in people’s quipping statements like: ‘If one more person tells me to practice meditation, mindfulness or do Yoga again then I’ll go crazy’. I’ve also heard that people are most appreciative of having someone to be accountable to for their own wellbeing and care. People appreciate the reminders of what self-care is about, but do we really understand what self-care is all about?

Julie and I are fascinated as to why people avoid self-care, why it continuously drops down the priority list. What are the conscious and unconscious drivers involved? 

Let’s face it, self-care is quite complicated. Some people are compelled to please others, to follow a sense of calling or vocation at quite high costs. Others are juggling many balls, some are financially pressured and others again are possibly in misalignment with the right job/career and workplace for them. So rather than have a didactic day, we plan to engage people in experiential and creative learning about resistance and openness to self-care. We believe that coming to better understand our own experience of self-care is essential in helping others. Inherently in effective self-care is our own capacity to relate to ourselves with love and compassion. Finding new ways to  maintain self-awareness and manage stress can make all the difference in caring for the self who supervises.