SUPERVISION
Supervision
LCSD’s Code of Practice states that spiritual directors should “receive regular supervision (sufficient for their own practice and workload) to reflect on and develop their practice, and to be accountable.” To help you fulfil this we run a number of online Supervision Groups throughout the year, on different days and at different times.
At LCSD we understand supervision to be a process that is:*
Formative: growing in knowledge and insights, developing self-awareness and understanding.
Restorative: providing a space for acknowledging and releasing feelings.
Normative: understanding and ensuring good practice and ethical standards.
*adapted from Brigid Proctor’s Model of Supervision
We also provide supervision that is:
Contemplative: discerning how and where God is, in a prayerful context.
Affirmative: supporting and encouraging.
“The overall goal of supervision is to help spiritual directors to grow in self awareness and interior freedom in order to stay with directees’ experiences and to be attentive to God during direction sessions.”
Supervision Groups
We run Supervision Groups throughout the year.
Most groups meet nine times per year (three times per term) for two hours.
The cost is £28 per session.
Those joining a group are asked to make a commitment to attending for the whole of the academic year in which they join, if at all possible.
Our groups consist of four to six people and are facilitated by trained and experienced supervisors, all of whom are members of the Community of Spiritual Directors.
Because the Normative element of our supervision is based on the Code of Practice of the Community of Spiritual Directors, members of supervision groups are required to join the Community if they are not already members. To find out more about membership, please visit our Members page.
Bespoke Groups
If you and between three and five friends or colleagues — perhaps spiritual directors work- ing in the same area, or who trained together — would like to receive supervision together, please contact us and we will do our best to create a supervision group for you with one of our supervisors, who will:
Be a member of the Community and abide by our Code of Practice;
Keep confidentiality (unless there is concern about any issues related to safeguarding, when the supervisor will need to consult with appropriate others as required. In all cas- es, this would be discussed with you first);
Be in regular supervision for their own work;
Adhere to current GPDR as appropriate.
It also means you will not have to worry about finding cover if your supervisor needs to miss a session: we at LCSD will do all we can to take care of that and other concerns for you.
“Supervision is a conversation between peers that ultimately fosters the wellbeing of an absent other.”
Find a supervisor
Would you like to join a supervison group?
It you would like to join a supervision group, please get in touch.
Train as a supervisor
The Centre also runs four-day online training courses in supervision skills for spiritual directors, usually in September each year with a follow-up day in March. We can also offer bespoke training and refresher courses for diocesan and other spiritual direction networks.
“The supervisory conversation has as its main purpose to lead supervisees further into the Mystery where the divine and the human kiss.”