I continue to be committed to making Continuous Professional Development (CPD) and Supervision , an integral part of my working life. This is rightly expected of any homeopathic practitioner, in recognition of the importance of the complex nature of practitioner – client relationships.
“There is so much pain and hurt in the world that, if we get caught into believing that we have to make it all better heroically, we are setting ourselves up to be overwhelmed and to burn out quickly. However, if we react to this reality with professional defensiveness, we may treat the symptoms, but we fail to meet and support the human beings who are communicating through these symptoms. The middle ground entails being on the path of facing our own shadow, our own fear, hurt and distress, and taking responsibility for ensuring that we practice what we preach. This means managing our own support systems, finding friends and colleagues who will not just reassure us but also challenge our defences, and finding a supervisor or supervision group who will not collude in trying to see who can be most potent with ways of curing (the patient), but will attend to how we are stuck in relating to the full truth of those with whom we work”
— Hawkins and Shohet, ‘Supervision in the Helping Professions’
I have received supervision since the beginning of my professional life as a homeopath, and this continues on a regular basis. As well as individual supervision, I have, in the past, been part of multidisciplinary peer support groups. In addition, I am continually expanding and developing my homeopathic knowledge and skills, by regularly attending seminars and courses. Over the last six years this has been focussed towards integrating the Sensation Method of Homeopathic Practice devised by Dr Sankaran and his associates, and more latterly studying with Drs S and B Joshi. I am extremely grateful for the work that these homeopaths have done to improve our skills as homeopathic practitioners. I am currently focalising a peer study group with other professional homeopaths from the North of Scotland to bring this work to the local area through the homeopaths who already practise here. I also try to ensure that I make time for following my own personal interests and for breaks.
In September 2001 I attended a training in ‘Core Supervision Skills’ run by the Centre for Staff Team Development, followed by a second module ‘Therapeutic Supervision’ in June 2002. During 2001, even though already registered, I undertook to put myself through the Society of Homeopaths new Registration procedure, in order to experience the process and make myself available for supervision for future Registration candidates. In November 2002 I attended a two -day Advanced Supervision course with Sheila Ryan FSHom, specifically aimed at an inquiry into “Homeopathic Principles in Practice and Supervision”.
Any homeopathic student or practitioner who wishes to talk about possible supervision is invited to contact me. Potential supervisees should know that I have not continued my RShom status since restarting practice in 2007 on a part time basis.