Dilemmas
SUPPORT AND RESOURCES
READER RESPONSES ‘I’ve seen groups turn similar situations around’ Like all groups, supervision groups are subject to conscious and unconscious group dynamics. The issue of one person dominating is common, especially in self-managed groups where authority is opaque. In fact, everyone has the authority, as well as the responsibility, to keep the group functioning. Yet without discussing this, members frequently shy away from using their authority. The issue then rumbles, resentment builds and can turn to hostility. Members disengage and may leave. There are numerous reasons for one person taking too much air space. They may, for instance, be propelled by anxiety. I don’t know whether this is the case in your group, but it isn’t easy to be the newest member of a well-established group. We all bring to groups the imprint of our fi rst group, which for most of us is our family of origin. If we learned in that setting that to be heard we had to keep talking, we might unwittingly repeat this in other groups. Sometimes the behaviour we display in supervision unconsciously mirrors an aspect of the client we are bringing. Whatever the individual is doing, the group will also play a part. You tried a subtle approach but I wonder why, as a group, you don’t hold the boundary? It’s worth considering whether this member has unconsciously picked up issues that were lurking below the surface, such as competition, or anxiety about time, or about your work with clients. I’ve seen groups turn similar situations around. Exploring with curiosity will surface dynamics. All taking your authority should help. You may also try, at least for a while, timing each other to ensure equity. And if it doesn’t work, and the new member just isn’t a good fi t, they’ll be able to leave without the weight of unconscious projections, and you will have developed your capacity as a group. It is easy to overlook powerful group dynamics or to think that as mental health professionals we can avoid them. We can’t, and just as individuals can lose their minds, so can groups. And just as individuals can recover their minds, so can groups.
You can find more information in the following BACP Good Practice in Action resources, available online at www.bacp.co.uk/gpia ¢ Monitoring the supervisory relationship from the supervisor’s perspective ( GPiA 010 ) ¢ Monitoring the supervisory relationship from a supervisee’s perspective ( GPiA 011 )
meeting it may help to allow time for each person to o ff er a brief summary of how things are going in their practice. If the conversation became dominated by a particular contributor I would thank them for their insightful perspective and contribution then ask if I may o ff er an observation. I would then point out that they were making it di ffi cult for others to contribute to such an interesting topic. I fi nd that genuine honesty, without sarcasm, often helps – again, much like when working with a client. All the above needs careful timing, which comes with experience. Using humour can also help although, obviously, it won’t be appropriate if someone is facing challenging circumstances. John Wild NCPS (Accred) is a psychotherapeutic counsellor and a peer group supervisor. www.yestochangetherapy.co.uk ‘Both challenge and support are needed’ Groupwork is not for the faint-hearted. Forming a peer supervision group involves continuously impacted by the internal needs of its members, as well as by their external situational and relational concerns. However, with informed and sensitive attention to group dynamics, peer supervision groups the creation of a live, dynamic and unpredictable interpersonal fi eld, ¢ Workloads and the counselling professions ( GPiA 099 ) ¢ Workload in the context of the counselling professions ( GPiA 109 ) ¢ Peer supervision within the counselling professions ( GPiA 121 ) The Supervision competence framework and training curriculum can be accessed at: www.bacp.co.uk/ events-and-resources/ethics-and- standards/competences-and-curricula/ supervision-curriculum
¢ Introduction to supervision in the counselling professions (members) ( GPiA 054 ) ¢ Making the contract in the counselling professions ( GPiA 055 )
Gabriella Braun is the director of Working Well, a specialist consultancy firm using psychoanalytic and systemic thinking to help leaders and teams understand the hidden truths of their behaviour at work, and is the author of All That We Are: uncovering the hidden truths behind our behaviour at work (Piatkus). www.gabriellabraun.co.uk ‘It’s important to encourage clear boundaries’ I have personally found peer supervision groups to be a wonderful way to learn from others. I come away feeling inspired by other perspectives, being reminded that we are not alone in a line of work that can often make us feel isolated. Common challenges, however, include dominance by certain members – as in this ‘dilemma’ – and also lack of participation by some members, resistance to feedback and di ffi culty addressing sensitive topics. These issues can hinder group cohesion and e ff ectiveness, requiring careful facilitation to navigate. It’s important to encourage clear boundaries to help nurture a space where individuals can feel safe enough to speak freely – similar to working with clients. Perhaps it would help if before each meet-up, group members suggest topics that they’d like to discuss, helping to create an informal agenda. At the start of each
56 THERAPY TODAY MAY 2024
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