Joan Edwards

I have a Diploma in Counsellor Supervision from York St John University, and am on their list of approved Supervisors for students undertaking their placements.

I am an integrative counsellor working primarily from a Person Centred basis, but incorporating other modes such as CBT, Psychodynamic, Gestalt, TA, Mindfulness, and other creative therapeutic interventions etc. as appropriate to my clients' needs. 

As a supervisor I am supportive, giving space to the counsellors I supervise to explore their own practice, and present their cases and issues in ways which help them to analyse and extend their own counselling skills, and enhance their own personal well-being.  My aim is to help counsellors to develop and value their own unique counselling style, giving space to each individual as 'a person' as well as 'a professional'.

I am adaptive to the different needs in supervision - acknowledging the different needs of individuals - depending on levels of experience and skills, levels of support/or lack of - within working environments, needs of the client base etc.  The supervision needs of an experienced 'mature' therapist are very different from those of a student just setting out on their professional journey.

I have been an external supervisor for Darlington Rape Crisis Centre for over 20 years, and have supported students through their first client experiences to becoming qualified.  I have written assessments and reports, and provided positive feed-back to the students themselves to help them gain confidence and develop their own 'mix' and style of therapy.  Working to BACP code of ethics, I help set and monitor the necessary therapeutic boundaries in order to protect both the counsellor and their clients.