Module 7 Overview

Building on Schon’s pioneering work in the 1980s, reflective practice has become a staple competency across myriad helping professions and organizational contexts. The edifice of reflective practice rests on the contention that structured, purposeful reflection supports ethical and effective practice through enabling new understandings and perspectives. As Schon famously proposed, reflection can involve reflection-on-action (reflection that occurs following an activity) and reflection-in-action (reflection that occurs during an activity). It is uncontroversial to suggest that both forms of reflection are intrinsically important within all spheres of counselling relationships and the therapeutic process.  

And once again, we see the parallels across the triadic supervisory relationship: the supervisees support the reflective process and capacity of their client; the supervisor does the same for their supervisee; and the supervisor engages in this process on their own or through supervision of the supervisor (see Module 10). In all instances, the intent is to facilitate insight and awareness that would be difficult to attain without prompting and support from another. This is critical for all counsellors, though especially for those entering or new to the counselling profession who require support to process their countertransference responses; critically examine biases and assumptions born of cultural identity and social location and reflect critically on the intersection of their preferred ways of working and the research that informs their approach.  

For supervisees, a primary goal of reflective practice is to enable their capacity for self-supervision, which involves “developing a rigorous and disciplined internal voice about clinical practice (Thiessen, 2023; 207), an ability that the supervisor has ostensibly sufficiently attained. While all counsellors are encouraged to continue with collegial consultation and supervision throughout their careers, the absence of immediate ongoing support underscores the importance of developing a robust ability to self-supervise. This self-supervision must also include an ongoing awareness of the counsellor’s personhood – how their identity and lived experiences shape their practice. 

The supervisory relationship is a critical space where supervisors can nurture their supervisees’ reflective capacity. For this relationship to foster effective reflection, it must be strong enough to provide the supervisee with a secure, trusting environment. A supervisor’s own reflective skills are equally essential; without them, there’s a risk of missed insights or blind spots, which can strain the supervisory alliance. When supervisors lack self-reflection, supervisees may observe behaviours or biases that the supervisor is unaware of, potentially leading to diminished trust and confidence in the supervisor’s abilities. By modelling reflective practice, supervisors not only strengthen the relationship but also enhance the supervisee’s growth and trust and help guide them toward a deeper awareness of the person of the counsellor.