Aileen Ross

A Senior Accredited Supervisor, I'm professionally trained and qualified at Masters degree level, and have worked for 15 years with individual counsellors and groups of therapists from many different theoretical  models and settings - such as hospitals, schools, GP surgeries, student counselling services, NHS, charities, voluntary sector, emergency services etc. My supervisory framework is the adaptable 'Hawkins-Shohet Model' - regarded as an 'integrative-relational' model of supervision and which enables me to work individually with people from many different helping professions and also in group supervision. During this time I've provided around 4,500 supervisee contact hours with dozens of supervisees.  With a Postgraduate Diploma in Supervision at Masters level from Salford University in 2004, I provide a professionally supportive, mentorial and appropriately challenging setting for supervisees. I've had extensive experience working with therapists with varying levels of experience - trainee counsellors through to therapists with 30 years' + experience. In my supervisory practice I work with up to 20 counsellors at any one time, who have an incredible wealth of experience and variety of therapeutic background. I also provide group supervision for a variety of different organisations. Supervisees come from private practice, from training courses, public and private organisations, voluntary organisations, the NHS, charities, sexual abuse support services, domestic violence units, young people's counselling agencies, addiction organisations, and mental health units amongst many others. MY THERAPEUTIC BACKGROUNDI've worked with counselling clients since the late-1990s with hundreds of clients and couples in the NHS, private and public organisations, GP surgeries, work-based settings, student counselling services, and in private practice. During that time I've accumulated more than 15,000 counselling hours with individual clients and couples. This demonstrates my commitment and consistency over many years in working therapeutically with clients to help resolve their issues and/or facilitate long-lasting changes in their lives.An experienced, professionally qualified Psychotherapist and Counsellor, I've been a Senior Accredited and Registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) over 2 decades, working within their ethical code of conduct.You will also find me on the nationally approved register for accredited and registered UK independent psychotherapists and counsellors validated each year by the Professional Standards Authority.I carry professional and public indemnity insurance to a higher level recommended by my professional association, the BACP.I also hold current Home Office Disclosure and Barring Service's Criminal Records Enhanced Disclosure (DBS) - for reassurance when working with vulnerable adults, adolescents or children.  In my therapeutic work I work integratively, drawing on the Egan framework to underpin my work. Within this, I also have a humanistic approach to working therapeutically, drawing on mindfulness and the person-centred approach to work uniquely with each person or couple in relationship counselling. Among other models I integratively and creatively draw on in my therapeutic work are: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy and Stress Reduction (MBCT / MBSR), Gestalt, Transactional Analysis (TA), and Psychodynamic therapeutic skills.Clients tell me they find I have an empathic understanding of where they are in their lives and intuitively know how to facilitate their healing, change and growth.MY SUPERVISORY EXPERIENCEOver the past 15 years. alongside client work, I have additionally spent a further 4,500 hours working with supervisees from a variety of different settings in both the public, private and voluntary sectors, across varying levels of experience from trainees to very experienced therapists. I also facilitate group supervision in a number of different settings - addiction, domestic violence, health organisations. Alongside this, I have also lectured and tutored on counselling courses for several years, so understand the developmental needs of trainee counsellors alongside the educational rigour of their courses. I have taught trainee counsellors across the broad spectrum of different therapeutic approaches, and all other factors in  counselling training, including Personal Development work, skills work, and placement mentoring. I integrate this educative and mentorial background within my supervisory work.WHAT I OFFER YOU IN SUPERVISION  . . . I always suggest a free initial chat and meeting for every prospective supervisee, whatever their experience, to see if we feel we would be comfortable working together. I thoroughly enjoy the 'meeting' of therapeutic minds in the supervisory process when we embark on working together and I provide an appropriately supportive, mentorial and challenging environment for therapists to develop their skills and knowledge and widen their experience. I work within my core 'Hawkins-Shohet' supervisory model (which is also described as an 'integrative relational framework' - meaning it explores overlapping relationships brought to the supervision room such as counsellor/client, supervisor/counsellor, and supervisor/client).  From this solid and emotionally grounded framework, I offer safe and supportive space for supervisees to  be able to stand back and reflect on their therapeutic processes with clients.  This gives the opportunity to engage in the search for new options with clients; and the discovery that new learning often emerges from even the most difficult situations in therapeutic relationships. My fundamental approach is to offer supervision as a place to receive support and mentoring alongside  challenge appropriate to the experience of the supervisee and/or  the complexity or intensity of the therapeutic work. I bring with me the curiosity and ability to provide a safe space to also explore the sometimes complex overlapping relationships in the counselling and supervisory relationships.   Supervision, like therapy, sometimes involves humour and laughter (where appropriate) just as it does the other human emotions our clients bring to sessions, like fear, anxiety, irritation, anger and distress.  Supervision in parallel to therapy can often mirror all these emotions in the supervision room, and if given sufficient safe space to explore and develop awareness of this mirroring can help both supervisee and their clients on their therapeutic journey together. The same can apply to group supervision.If you would like to arrange an initial meeting to explore whether we feel comfortable working together in supervision please do contact me either by:Landline Phone:    0845 458 9944 (this has a confidential voicemail - also a  low-rate number) Mobile phone:       07961 327828  (confidential voicemail if I'm unavailable to answer)                Or please do email me if you prefer that initial way of making contact with me at:  aileenross@btopenworld.comI look forward to hearing from you . . .        Warm wishes,  Aileen