Ontological Approaches to Clinical Supervision – What Are We Really Doing Here?

Cup of TEA: Ontological Approaches to Clinical Supervision – What Are We Really Doing Here?

This evening invites us to step back from techniques and models to ask a deeper question: What is supervision, ontologically speaking? Drawing on contemporary debates and grounded theory perspectives, we will explore how different ontological positions—positivist, constructivist, relational, and ecological—shape the very nature of what supervision is and does. From developmental and process models to more emergent, co-constructed approaches, we’ll examine how being and knowing are enacted within the supervisor–supervisee–client triad. How do our assumptions about knowledge, power, and reciprocity influence what we call “good supervision”? The first hour offers a theoretical framework for reflecting on these questions; the second opens the floor for supervision and dialogue. Join us for a cup of TEA—Theory, Ethics, and Application—and engage in an inquiry into supervision not just as a method, but as a way of being-with others…