Clinical Confidence, Uncertainty and the Value of Professional Supervision
I've noticed through providing clinical supervision that practitioners often question whether they're doing enough, whether they've made the right decision, or whether there's something they've overlooked.
I recognise that feeling, because even after more than 15 years of working with children and families, I still have moments where I question my own clinical decisions.
We often associate professional confidence with having the knowledge, experience and skills to know what to do, though much of the time, there isn't a clear-cut answer or neat solution. The longer I work in this field, the more I appreciate just how much uncertainty is part of clinical practice.
Particularly when working with children and families, where there are often multiple perspectives, competing needs, complex relationships and systemic pressures that we have very little control over. We can have a good understanding of what's happening for a child or family and still be unsure about the best way forward.
I think what changes with experience is our capacity to sit with some of that uncertainty, consider different possibilities and make thoughtful clinical decisions without needing to be certain that we've got everything right.
For me, an important part of developing that capacity has been having supportive supervision of my own. A space where I can bring my uncertainty, and sometimes the anxiety that comes with it, and critically reflect on what's happening with someone I trust.
I've had supervision sessions where I've walked in feeling quite unsure of myself and left feeling considerably more confident in my practice. Not necessarily because we've found the answer or worked out how to fix everything, but because I've had the opportunity to reflect, consider other perspectives and feel supported in the decisions I'm making.
Clinical practice is not something we are meant to hold entirely on our own.
The Seven-Eyed Model of Supervision, developed by Hawkins and Shohet, captures something important about this. It encourages us to look beyond what's happening between the therapist and client, and consider the wider relationships and processes influencing our work. This includes our own emotional responses as practitioners, what happens within the supervisory relationship, and how these experiences might influence the therapeutic work.
I particularly value the recognition that the supervisory relationship is itself an important part of this process. Having someone who can sit alongside us in the uncertainty, help us recognise what we already know, challenge our thinking when needed, and support us to keep developing our practice.
This is the kind of reflective space I hope to offer in my own supervision practice. I currently have some availability for individual and group supervision, and welcome enquiries from practitioners looking for ongoing support with their clinical work.
