Navigating the Path to Healing
Supervision: Why Trust and Growth Take Time
Imagine this. You’ve only just met me, would you hand me the keys to your car? Would you give me your bank card PIN number? Would you unlock your phone and pass it over?
Most people laugh and say no. And yet, as trainee therapists (and sometimes even as experienced ones), we can feel frustrated when a client doesn’t hand over the “keys” to their deepest emotions in the first five sessions.
The truth is, trust doesn’t work like that. And this is where supervision becomes so important.
The Essence of Supervision
The Five-Hour Myth
When you look at therapy in real time, five sessions might feel like a long commitment. But in reality, that’s just five hours. Five hours with a stranger, five hours of building safety, five hours of testing whether it’s okay to share.
Clients are not withholding for no reason; they’re protecting themselves. They’re deciding if you’re safe enough to be given the keys. And that decision cannot be rushed.
Supervision helps remind us of this perspective. It’s not about what the client “should” be doing. It’s about pacing ourselves with them, respecting the time trust takes to grow.
Evolving in Your Professional Journey
Slower Is Sometimes Better
In therapy, we often want to see progress. It reassures us that we’re doing the right thing. But real change often happens slowly, through small stepping stones.
A guarded client isn’t resisting; they’re surviving. Every disclosure, every shift, every moment of openness is a sign of progress. And supervision gives us the chance to reframe slowness as not only acceptable but sometimes essential.
The Dual Role of Supervision
The Role of Supervision
Supervision is not about having all the answers. It’s about holding space to explore the unknowns. It’s where we can say, “I don’t know what to do next,” and trust that it’s okay not to have a quick fix.
Good supervision balances challenge with nurture. It reminds us to slow down, to check our own impatience, and to reflect on the processes happening underneath the surface. It also helps us distinguish between what belongs to us and what belongs to our clients.
Supervision as a Catalyst for Growth
Outgrowing a Supervisor
Just as clients sometimes outgrow their therapists, it’s healthy for therapists to outgrow supervisors.
Maybe you’re at a different stage of your professional journey. Maybe you need a supervisor who specialises in private practice growth, or one who has more experience in trauma, or simply someone whose style challenges you differently.
Supervision is a professional relationship, but it’s also a growth relationship. Reflecting honestly on whether your current supervisor is still the right fit is an essential part of your professional development.
Final Thoughts on Supervision
The Dual Role: Being Challenged and Supported
The best supervision is not comfortable all the time. There will be days when you’re challenged, when your blind spots are named, when you’re asked to think differently.
But there will also be days when supervision is simply a place to show up and talk about the tough stuff. To admit you’re tired, overwhelmed, or uncertain. Both sides are necessary, the stretch and the support.
Supervision: A Journey of Continuous Growth
Supervision is where therapists grow, not just in skills but in patience, humility, and self-awareness. It’s where we learn that progress in therapy is not measured in speed but in depth.
It’s also where we give ourselves permission to not know everything, to take things one step at a time, and to hold space for clients who need us to simply wait with them.
Reflecting on the Journey
Final Thoughts: Embracing the Process of Healing
Supervision reminds us of something simple but profound: trust cannot be forced. Clients won’t hand over their emotional keys until they feel safe.
And as therapists, we don’t need to know all the answers straight away. We need to be patient, reflective, and willing to grow.
That’s the gift of supervision, not just for our clients, but for us.
Becky Stone
I’m Becky Stone, a qualified therapist and clinical supervisor based in Canterbury, UK. I specialise in trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming support for both teens and adults. I also provide clinical supervision for trainees and qualified therapists, offering a space that balances challenge with compassion, helping you grow as a professional while staying grounded in your own wellbeing.
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