Why do counsellors have supervision?
Posted 30th of June 2026 by Gill Wier
Have you ever wondered who is supporting your counsellor while they are supporting you?
I am currently completing my training to become
a supervisor of other counsellors and have been reflecting on the purpose of
supervision. As well as supporting the counsellor supervision indirectly
benefits their clients. I thought it would be good to share this with you, our
clients, to make more transparent the processes by which we support you.
What is supervision?
In the counselling professions, supervision is a specific
form of mentoring which supports counsellors in their work. In the UK it is a
professional requirement for counsellors to have at least 1.5 hours of
supervision a month not just during training but throughout their career. This
means meeting one to one with a more experienced counsellor who is also trained
as a supervisor. It can also include meeting with a trusted group of
counsellors for group or peer supervision. During these sessions the counsellor
will talk about their work with clients to discuss aspects they are finding
challenging and gain ideas on how to best support their clients. Clients’
identity is not disclosed in order to maintain confidentiality.
How does supervision benefit the counsellor and the
client?
Supervision is considered to have three key functions and
each of these benefit both the counsellor and their clients in different ways:
1. Restorative function - the supervisor
supports the counsellor’s health and wellbeing by providing a safe place for
them to process the emotional impact of client work and encourages them to attend
to their self-care. This supports counsellors to build resilience and maintain
consistent and safe practice for their clients.
2.
Normative function - the supervisor has
an ethical duty to notice when a counsellor is veering off course and helps
them regain focus to ensure they are working to professional standards and
adhering to the ethical framework of their professional body. The supervisor
supports the counsellor to make wise clinical decisions and resolve any ethical
dilemmas. This function helps to protect clients and keep counselling safe.
3.
Formative function - the supervisor helps
the counsellor to develop their skills and knowledge by suggesting and
demonstrating interventions or directing them to sources of learning relevant
to their client work. They help counsellors keep pace with new developments in
the field, enabling high clinical standards.
Supervisors play an essential role in helping to prepare trainee
counsellors for practice and collaborate with the training provider to ensure
the trainee’s work satisfies professional standards.
At Sheffield Central Counselling all of our associate
counsellors and counsellors-in-training have their own supervisor who they see
every month and we also have a monthly peer supervision group which all
counsellors at the practice are welcome to attend. This helps to ensure we
offer a high quality of care to you, our clients.
If you have any questions about supervision feel free to ask
your counsellor or email Gill info@sheffieldcentralcounselling.co.uk
If you are a qualified counsellor interested in some
additional supervision, Gill Wier is currently offering free monthly one hour sessions
during her period of training. Please get in touch to find out more.
