Reflective Supervision:

A journey of self-reflection and awareness in the context of a trusting relationship

Lorna Sedillos

LCSW, RPT, IMH-E

and

Bibi Herran LMSW

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What We Will Explore Today

◦ Relationships – Foundation of Trust

◦ Reflective Practice – The Power of Self-Awareness

◦ Reflective Supervision – The Journey

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RELATIONSHIPS

“Relationships are all there is. Everything in the universe only exists because it is in relationship to everything else.”

-Margaret Wheatley

Foundation for Relationships…Trust

Look/Observe- What do you see?

Listen – What are you being told?

Learn – What do you know about the Reciprocal Process and How

to be “with”?

All Learning and Growth Happens in the Context of Trusting

Relationship

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Experiencing Relationships

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“A relationship

for learning.

A relationship in

which strengths

are emphasized

and

vulnerabilities are

partnered.”

- Gerry Costa

REFLECTIVE PRACTICE

“How you are is as important as what you do.”

-Jeree Pawl

What is Reflective Practice?

◦ Stepping Back from the immediate, intense experience of

direct work with families to take time to consider what the

experience means.

◦ Begins with Oneself by taking a conscious look at emotions,

experiences, actions and responses.

◦ Use the Information to add to our existing knowledge and

reach a new level of understanding.

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Take a Moment…

•Tell a partner or write in the chat box what is your

experience with reflective practices and how it

has helped your personal and professional

growth?

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Why is Reflective Practice Needed?

In order to promote the mental health of infants, toddlers and

families. We use reflective practice to…

◦ Develop strong working relationships with parents.

◦ Pay attention to the physical and emotional quality of the environment.

◦ Work intentionally to support children in the context of their relationships.

◦ Recognize what we bring in our professional roles and our personal

experiences to the work with infants, toddlers and families.

◦ Give and receive the type and level of support that such intellectually

and emotionally demanding work requires.

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REFLECTIVE SUPERVISION

“One sees clearly only with the heart.

Anything essential is invisible to the eye.”

-Antoine De Saint Exupery

What is Reflective Supervision?

◦ Reflective supervision is a collaborative relationship for

professional growth that improves program quality and

strengthens practice.

◦ Reflective supervision builds the capacity of individuals,

relationships and organizations by cherishing strengths and

partnering around vulnerabilities.

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Take a Moment…

Tell a partner or share in the chat box:

•Bring to your mind the last time you sat with a

colleague or group of co-workers where you felt

safe and connected and engaged in reflection

about your work experience.

•What are some of those sensations and feelings?

What does Reflective Supervision Look Like?

◦ Meetings are regular, consistent and protected

◦ Shared exploration of the parallel process

◦ Attention to all of the involved relationships

◦ Anchor to feelings & how they might impact/inform our

work

◦ Emphasis on supervisor’s ability to listen and wait allowing

the supervisee to explore on their own (as opposed to

“expert role”)

◦ Emphasis on reflective capacity and use of self

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Supervision is a Relationship

◦ Emotional Safety

◦ Mutual Respect

◦ Open Communication

◦ Cooperative Problem Solving

◦ Self-Regulation

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Take a Moment…

Tell a person you are with or tell us in the chat box:

•How has reflective supervision impacted your personal and professional life?

• If you have not experienced reflective supervision, can you think of how it could personally and professionally be beneficial to you?

Five Core Elements of Reflective Supervision

1. Understanding the Family Story

2. Holding the Baby in Mind

3. Professional Use of Self

4. Parallel Process

5. Reflective Alliance

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The Integrated Parallel Process

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Supervisor

Supervisee

Parent

Child

As I am listening, I need to Identify my own internal sensations and reactions…

Where Do I Feel It In My Body?

Structure of Environment

◦ Time

◦ Space

◦ Predictability

◦ Commitment

◦ Confidentiality

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Reflective Supervisee Guidance

◦ Trust your supervisor to support you through consistent

supervisor meetings.

◦ Explore the relationship of your feelings to the work you are

doing.

◦ Think deeper about your work with infants, young children,

and families, and yourself.

◦ Increase attention to “self” and “other” and wonder about

the relationship between personal and professional.

◦ Take in and use new awareness and insights (personal and

professional) which emerge through the reflective

supervisory relationship.

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Reflective Supervisor Qualities

◦ Safety

◦ Consistency

◦ Dependability

◦ Respect/Confidentiality

◦ Honesty

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Take A Moment…

Tell a partner or write in the chat box:

•Describe what qualities in your supervisor have

helped you go through difficult situations with a

client or family you work with.

QUANTUM SUPERVISION

QUiet attention

All sectors of experience

Notice your own internal reactions

Trust the process

Underline the supervisee’s shifts of energy

Milk the metaphors

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“The most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen.

Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention. A loving

silence often has far more power to heal and to connect than the most well-

intentioned words.”

-Rachel Naomi Remen

How Are We Listening?

Transformational

Other Focused

Self Focused

The Power of Questions

◦ Tools for connection and exploration

◦ The fewer the better...

◦ Don’t ask a question if you already know the answer

◦ Asking is best when self aware

◦ Supervisee needs time and space to talk/think

◦ Sacred/confidential

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How

Where

Questions for Powerful Exploration

Relationship Forming:

◦ How have you experienced supervision?

◦ What brings you to this work? Personally? Professionally?

◦ Why does working with babies and families intrigue you?

◦ Which things would you like me to help you with?

Starting a Session:

◦ What has the week been like for you?

◦ Who is on your mind today?

◦ What relationship would you like to talk about?

◦ Where would you like to begin today?

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Questions that Limit Exploration

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Did you?

Can you?

STAY OFF THE FIX-IT TRAIN!

“It is not so important what you did,

but what you do after what you did

that really counts.”

-Gary Landreth, ED. RPT-S

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Rupture and Repair

◦ Rupture is a breakdown in the collaborative process.

◦ Rupture can strengthen the relationship.

◦ What is the motive in our questions?

◦ Blame/Fault finding

◦ Black/White thinking

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GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR A REPAIR OF A RUPTURE

Allow time

Be genuine and authentic

Reflect and then reflect some more

Let go of control

Respect yourself

Respect the other

Look for positives

Discover points of realization

Consider acknowledging your part in the

rupture

Consider apologizing

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What Do I Leave With Today?

Questions/discussion

What Steps Do I Take To Integrate These Practices in My Workplace?

◦ Read more about reflective supervision and share it with others at

work.

◦ Find more training on the topic and invite your supervisor to

attend.

◦ Here are some links and resources we recommend:

1. ITMHCA links:

https://itmhca.org/endorsement/RSC-

Resources/Best-Practice-Guidelines-for-

RSC.pdf

https://itmhca.org/endorsement/RSC-

Resources/Guidelines-for-Beginning-

and-Maintaining-an-RSC-Relationship-

via-Distance-Technology.pdf

References

◦ Barron, C. and Weatherston, D.J. (2007). Development of Supervisory Relationships. Guidelines for reflective supervision and consultation. (Rev.2008). Southgate: Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health. (www.mi-aimh.org).

◦ Heffron, M.C. & Burch, T. (2010). Reflective supervision and leadership in infant and early childhood programs. Washington, DC: ZERO TO THREE.

◦ Heller, S. & Gilkerson, L. (Eds.). (2009). A practical guide for reflective supervision. Washington, DC: ZERO TO THREE.

◦ Pawl, J. H. (1995) The Therapeutic Relationship as Human Connectedness: Being Held in Another’s Mind. Zero To Three. Volume 15, No. 4

◦ Weatherston, D.J. (2013) Reflective Practice: Look, Listen, Wonder and Respond. Zero to Three.

◦ Weatherston, D.J. & Barron, C. What does a reflective supervisory relationship look like? In S. Scott Heller & L. Gilkerson (Eds.)(In press). A practical guide to reflective supervision. Washington, D.C.: ZERO TO THREE Press.

◦ Landreth, G. (2012). Play Therapy: The Art of the Relationship. Taylor & Francis.

◦ B. Hudnall Stamm, 2009. Professional Quality of Life: Compassion Satisfaction and

Fatigue Version 5 (ProQOL). https://proqol.org/ProQol_Test.html

◦ http://www.menscenterlosangeles.com/news/2017/1/8/the-lakota-sundance-

prayer-ceremony

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◦ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4a66aFaIME

◦ Compassion

◦ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCvhOqThYJ4

◦ Secret to having Compassion Brene Brown

◦ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzKryaN44ss

◦ Paying Attention Mindfulness

◦ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOzDGrcvmus

◦ Brene Brown The Power of Vulnerability

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCvmsMzlF7o

◦ https://youtu.be/opnneWjIi6M Reflective Supervision

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