Single Session Supervision

Single session therapy is growing in popularity for a variety of reasons. Windy Dryden has long been an advocate, practitioner and trainer in this approach. More recently Irvin Yalom had been dipping his toe into the single session therapy world due to his failing memory.

Despite an increasing interest in single session therapy there has been little discussion about single session supervision. Yet, throughout my own practice, I have come to appreciate the significant value that this supervision can offer.

Single Session supervision

Single session supervision differs from ongoing supervisory relationships. When you meet regularly with a supervisor, you ideally develop a trusting, collegial and reflective relationship over time. However, circumstances such as illness, annual leave, maternity/paternity leave or unexpected absence can disrupt this support. There may also be occasions when your supervisor has limited experience in a particular area of practice.

In these situations, single session supervision can provide valuable support. Whilst there is less time to build a trusting relationship, my aim is to still offer a supervision session that is both supportive and appropriately challenging, helping you to think critically and confidently about your work.

Potential focuses of single session supervision:

• Discussing client work whilst your supervisor is unavailable

• Exploring client work in an area your supervisor has limited experience

• Seeking guidance when there may be a conflict of interest within your existing supervisory relationship

• Developing a private practice when your supervisors experience is primarily within agency settings

• Gaining other perspectives on complex clinical, ethical or professional issues

Advantages of Single session supervision: At its core, single-session supervision ensures that you do not have to navigate professional challenges alone when your usual supervisory support is unavailable or limited.

Potential benefits include:

• Provides professional support

• Promotes safe and ethical practice

• Enhances self-care and wellbeing of the counsellor

• Improves therapeutic outcomes for client

• Personal and professional development

• Encourages and increases reflective practice

• Reduces counsellor isolation and burnout
  

Trainees:

The nature of responsibility for trainee counsellors differs, making single session supervision generally unsuitable.

If you're a trainee considering single session supervision, I recommend discussing it openly with your supervisor and exploring additional support options such as your agency manager, the agency safeguarding team, and your course tutors.

How do I access single session supervision?

Ideally your supervisor will contract with you about support in their absence. They may recommend a trusted colleague, have a reciprocal arrangement with another supervisor or suggest other professional contacts. A good supervisor will also encourage you to develop a wider professional support network and consider how it can be accessed when needed.

However, unexpected absences do occur, and contingency plans are not always in place. In these circumstances, you may need to seek supervision independently. Many supervisors openly offer single-session supervision, while others may be willing to provide it upon request.

I recommend identifying potential supervisors in advance, before the need arises. Finding the right person is often much easier when you have time to consider your options rather than searching while under pressure or feeling overwhelmed.