Learning to trust your Inner compass
My core philosophy as a supervisor and educator is that learning happens when we create the right environment. When I moved from working in higher education with students to supervising qualified practitioners, I began to see that the traditional, developmental models of supervision used in occupational therapy (and other healthcare professions) are often missing something vital - the fact that learning and development is not linear. This is not new knowledge, of course.
I have therefore developed a model of reflective supervision that brings together a number of different theories into a cohesive whole.
The Soulwise Way is a model of reflective supervision that supports you to deepen self awareness, strengthen professional values and make decisions in your practice that are aligned, intentional and sustainable. Using the metaphor of a compass, integrated with a seasonal wheel (Wheel of the Year), yet rooted firmly in the language of occupational science, the Soulwise Way provides a practical, tangible and 'therapist centred' tool for reflecting on any issues you might bring to supervision. We can use it overtly, or we can simply follow the tracks it provides.
Ultimately, however, it provides a structure for finding your way to 'Belonging' - to yourself and the profession - before you move towards any form of action. I believe this also aligns with the occupational therapy process, as we endeavour to understand and explore our clients strengths and needs before we rush into action.
I firmly believe that experienced clinicians do not necessarily need more external structures, frameworks or more guidance on how to do their job. They already know how to access knowledge, take CPD seriously and update their skills.
What people ask for is time to reflect, space to look inward and the confidence to trust what they already know. They sometimes need to give themselves the permission to feel, to focus on the being of therapy, not just the doing of therapy. They need to explore what becoming means to them and, most importantly, to feel a sense of belonging in their practice.
Competencies and professional standards are essential of course - they are the core of safe, ethical practice. But if we focus only on meeting external requirements, then supervision is in danger of becoming a cognitive exercise rather than an embodied, relational experience that can genuinely change our practice and shape our therapeutic use of self.
The Soulwise Way aims to bring these missing elements back into supervision. It offers a way for you to connect with your professional identity and bring your authentic self into your practice in a way that is enriching, empowering and ultimately beneficial for the people you support.
The Soulwise Way is a practitioner centred, dynamic approach that enables you to orient yourself at any time. It is cyclical and flowing, not linear, reflecting the reality of practice.
A process that makes room for you
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01 - Doing
Embodied Action. Movement, physicality. The outward expression of practice.
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02 - Being
Reflective Presence. Feelings, wellbeing, purpose. The inner landscape of the practitioner.
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03 - Becoming
Unfolding Indentity. Thinking, planning, CPD. A future orientation towards growth.
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04 - Belonging
Safety and Connection. Physical and cultural environments, professional identity, organisations, a sense of home. The grounding element.
Could this be the right space for you?
Let’s start with a conversation. I’d love to hear about your work and explore how Soulwise Supervision could support you.