Talk Description
Trauma-Informed (TI) Supervision merges an understanding of trauma with supervisory practices, highlighting the dynamic interplay between trauma, the supervisor and supervisee, the helping relationship, and the surrounding context of the work environment. Often TI supervision and lived experience go hand in hand, but may not be known, or discussed. What can evolve when lived experience and TI supervision merges, either from the supervisee, supervisor, or both parties, is a compassionate, empathetic, and relational approach to supervision, that recognises the profound effects personal narratives of lived experience can bring into this professional relationship, whilst also emphasising the attention that both parties pay to their relationship.
While the supervisor or supervisee may or may not be actively involved in a role defined by their own experiences, or even directly share their experiences in supervision, their awareness of how these experiences inform supervisory practices is pivotal. From this synergy a Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) Supervisory Approach can develop, characterized by core principles such as safety, trustworthiness, choice, collaboration, and empowerment. These principles not only enrich the supervisory interaction, but can mirror a healthy therapeutic connection between practitioners and those they serve—children, youth, and families affected by trauma. A TIC Supervisory Approach can foster an environment where supervisees feel supported to participate and engage deeply with their work while maintaining a reflective practice that values resilience and healing. A TIC Supervisory Approach can also protect a workforce from secondary or vicarious trauma, as a consequence of the emotional demands of their work, and demonstrate a workplace or organisation’s commitment to implementing an integrated, trauma-informed system of care.