Pastoral Supervision - what is it?
Pastoral Supervision is a structured, reflective practice designed to support those in ministry, chaplaincy, and other pastoral roles. It’s not just about oversight—it’s about cultivating depth, accountability, and resilience in the practitioner.
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Definition & Purpose
Reflective Dialogue: A regular, intentional conversation that explores the intersection of Soul (inner motivation), Role (professional demands) and Context (real-world conditions)
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Support & Accountability: It helps practitioners maintain ethical standards, emotional wellbeing, and spiritual integrity in their work.
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Professional Development: Supervisors encourage growth, monitor fitness to practice, and guide supervisees toward further support when needed.
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Key Features
Confidential Contracting: Clear agreements around boundaries, confidentiality, and expectations.
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Ethical Practice: Supervisors are trained to respond to disclosures of harm, uphold respect for diversity, and act in the best interest of the supervisee.
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Ongoing Supervision: Accredited supervisors themselves receive regular supervision to maintain their own reflective practice.
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Applications
Used by healthcare chaplains, clergy, therapists, spiritual directors, and educators.
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Addresses burnout, ethical dilemmas, and vocational clarity.
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Enhances the quality of care offered to communities by ensuring practitioners are supported and self-aware.
"If I can provide a certain type of relationship, the other person will discover within himself the capacity to use that relationship for growth, and change and personal development will occur" - Carl Rogers
What to expect from a session.
You can expect a confidential, reflective, and professionally guided space where your ministry or pastoral work is explored in depth—not just for problem-solving, but for personal and vocational integration.
Here's what typically happens:
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You bring the focus :The supervisee chooses a topic—often a recent event, relational challenge, ethical dilemma, or emotional response in ministry.
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Structured reflection: The supervisor facilitates exploration using models like the Pastoral Cycle, Theological Reflection, or Soul–Role–Context frameworks.
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Dialogue, not diagnosis: It’s not therapy or performance review. It’s a collaborative inquiry into how you're showing up in your role and what that reveals.
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Spiritual and ethical grounding: Sessions often include attention to theological themes, vocational calling, and safeguarding concerns.
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You’ll Be Invited To...
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Reflect on what stirred you emotionally or spiritually in your recent work.
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Consider how your values, theology, and identity are being expressed or challenged.
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Explore boundaries, resilience, and relational dynamics in your ministry context.
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Identify patterns, blind spots, or growth edges in your practice.
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What You’re Not Expected To Do
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You’re not expected to “perform” or justify your decisions.
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You’re not being evaluated—though ethical accountability is part of the frame.
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You don’t need to have a crisis to benefit. Ordinary moments often yield the richest insight.
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Common Themes That Arise
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Role tension
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Emotional impact of ministry
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Ethical complexity
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Vocational clarity
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Relational dynamics
Supervision is about asking questions which in turn lead to more questions. This develops learning, which is not necessarily about answers
Fees
As a fully qualified, accredited, and experienced supervisor I charge £60 for a one-hour session, or £90 for an hour and a half session.
Regulation
My work as a reflective pastoral supervisor is accountable to the code of conduct of the Association of Pastoral Supervision and Education.
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I hold professional insurance.