I’ll be honest, the title of this blog post is somewhat misleading. As a therapist, you don’t need to choose between 1:1 or group clinical supervision. I believe they both provide awesome opportunities to learn and improve your practice. Having access to both should be the gold standard. Let’s explore the benefits and find out why they work so well together…  

The Benefits of 1:1 Supervision

1:1 clinical supervision involves meeting with a dedicated supervisor on an individual basis. This is a requirement for most professional bodies.

Often, a 1:1 supervision relationship spans quite a long period. The entirety of each session is dedicated to you and your needs, giving you a generous amount of time with your supervisor. This allows you to build a deeper relationship. Not only can this feel more meaningful, but it can also amplify the impact of supervision. After all, their feedback, encouragement and praise will be solely directed at you.

When you’re working towards accreditations, your supervisor needs a strong understanding of your practice and competence in particular areas. This is easier and quicker to achieve in an individual setting.

1:1 supervision can also feel safer and less intimidating than group supervision. You might find it easier to discuss personal things on an individual basis, and if you need to provide recordings to demonstrate your work, you might be more comfortable doing this without an audience.

The practicalities of individual supervision can work better for some people too. You can schedule sessions at times that work for you, and you might have more flexibility if you need to make any last-minute changes. Group supervision tends to be pre-scheduled and difficult to rearrange.

The Benefits of Group Supervision

In private practice, it’s very unusual for group supervision to be your primary source of supervision. I believe it’s more often the case in large organisations, and I suspect this is to do with efficiency rather than individual needs.

In my opinion, group supervision is a great way to ‘top up’ or add more dimension to the supervision you’re receiving on an individual basis. It provides an amazing learning environment, especially if you’re in the early phases of your career. There’s so much to gain from listening to others talk about clients, ask questions and receive feedback from the supervisor.

I tend to place therapists in groups based on their interest and learning stage. I’ve found bringing together people from different backgrounds with different experiences creates a richer learning environment. Having multiple therapists in the supervision room exposes you to a diverse range of perspectives and different ways of doing things. Sharing challenges and difficulties with your peers, and hearing them share theirs, can also be incredibly validating.  

If you’re using group supervision to work on a specific niche or specialist skill, this might mean you only have a small number of clients in this area. You wouldn’t necessarily have enough material to fill individual supervision time, but in a group setting you can bring a smaller number of questions and queries because the time will be divided between the group.

1:1 or Group Clinical Supervision?

As I said at the outset, my view as a supervisor and a therapist with more than 20 years’ experience is that a combination of 1:1 and group supervision is the best fit.

Individual supervision provides a solid foundation. At its best, it’s a safe space where you can build a consistent, long-term relationship. Group supervision allows you to build a relationship with, and learn from, your peers. It’s an opportunity to work on a specialist skill or modality, home in on a niche interest, or simply benefit from having an additional space within which to talk and share.

In other words, we gain different things from these different spaces. It’s important to have an individual supervision relationship where you can bring personal and clinical matters, but group supervision can be a great way to compliment this.

Clinical Supervision at Fortitude

I am a qualified, trauma informed Clinical Supervisor with experience supporting individuals, groups and trainees. I’m also an EMDR Consultant and Training Facilitator, a BABCP accredited CBT therapist and lecturer and a RN(MH).

My supervision style is relaxed, supportive and focussed on providing a safe space to learn and share knowledge. Past supervisees have told me they feel like I genuinely care about them, their wellbeing and that of their clients.

At Fortitude, we also offer group supervision for additional modalities and niche interests. All of our groups are run by experienced, highly knowledgeable supervisors grounded in my own compassionate, supportive way of working.

You learn more about clinical supervision at Fortitude here or get in touch to discuss working with us.