Four guiding principles for the supervisory relationship

The need for career-long supervision has recently been formally recognised within the psychology profession. This recognition is welcome as regular, structured support and reflective space are believed to be essential for psychologists’ continued personal and professional development. There are now many models of supervision available, offering valuable guides to practice, and the Seven-Eyed Process Model is reviewed as an accessible guide for relationally-based process supervision. However, with growing evidence of the key significance of the supervisory relationship for satisfying supervision, more detailed consideration regarding the supervisor’s engagement in this relationship is worthwhile. Based on a reflective analysis of the author’s practice as a supervisor and experience as a supervisee, and also drawing from theory and research, four guiding principles are presented for supervisors’ engagement with supervisees. These are: offering emotional presence and sensitivity; valuing both vulnerability and competence; offering knowledge and experience with humility; and developing a relationship to support continued personal and professional growth. It is concluded that supervisors need both sensitivity and courage while engaging with supervisees’ personal and professional personas, with both their vulnerability and competence, and while working to support the development of personally grounded, humble but confident practitioners.