How to be a more dynamic supervisor

Being an effective supervisor requires a range of skills that shift continually, based on the present needs of the supervisee. This means placing more or less emphasis on normative, formative or restorative functions across supervision sessions. Research suggests that routine supervision practices over-rely on verbal case discussion, and this can limit opportunities for more active and experiential methods such as role-play, chair work or self-practice of CBT methods. Being a dynamic supervisor involves both anticipating supervisee's preferences and challenges and responding to supervision questions flexibly. It also involves dealing with impasses or ruptures with curiosity, compassion and self-awareness using a variety of CBT informed approaches to keep supervision on track. Supervisors may lack the knowledge or confidence to be more dynamic in their work with supervisees therefore this workshop will seek to equip both novice and experienced supervisors with a range of skills to improve their skills in this area. By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to: Recognise the core functions of CBT supervision and describe standard and creative methods to achieve them; Have an awareness of a range of tools that can be used to pre-empt and respond to difficulties within the supervisory system; Understand how their own therapist schemas influence their beliefs about supervision and behaviour as a supervisor or supervisee; Apply bespoke formulation to the supervisory relationship to help make sense of the origins and maintaining factors of certain supervision interfering beliefs and behaviours