Why Pastoral / Clinical Supervision?
Supervision is highly recommended or mandatory for most workers in the helping professions. It serves to support the professional development of the pastor/pastoral worker/clinician and safeguard the quality of care for those they serve. More importantly it is an essential form of self care for those in roles and lifestyles of serving others. Engagement in supervision facilitates the integration of personal experience with professional life. We offer supervision in a variety of forms and frequencies with both individuals and groups – all with an openness to the presence of and interaction with Immanuel.
Form and Frequency
Various options exist for supervision depending on need and budget. Typical options are:
- Individual Monthly
- Group Monthly
- Individual every six weeks or bi-monthly
- Group every six weeks or bi-monthly
Options
A common form of supervision is simply a monthly one on one meeting planned in advance with the supervisor. Others contract to be part of an ongoing monthly group in which the resources and experience of all participants in the group can be utilized rather than only those of the supervisor and supervisee. Some groups, because of lack of funding, meet with the supervisor every second month then on the alternate month meet with each other – without the supervisor – a form of peer supervision. Some Immanuel practice groups employ a supervisor on a monthly basis or simply on an as needed basis. The advantage of what I have called Immanuel Focused Supervision is that aside from debriefing important personal/professional events and experiences explicit interaction with Immanuel can be entered into. This becomes excellent modelling for ministry as ministers learn to lead others into attunement with Immanuel as a normal part of ministry.
Background and experience of Michael Schaefer
Michael began working in pastoral ministry in 1994. From early on he has had a strong interest in people having their own experience of God and learning to discern the guidance of the Holy Spirit. He completed both a Degree and Graduate Diploma in theology and later a Graduate Diploma and Masters Degree in Christian Counselling. He began working as a counsellor at the beginning of 2000 and trained in Clinical/Pastoral Supervision in 2005. Besides being a professional counsellor and offering pastoral/clinical supervision, during his career Michael has worked as a Pastoral Care training coordinator, has taught Pastoral Ministry, Grief Counselling, Counselling Ethics and the Law and Reflective Practice at degree level and Ethics and Reflective Practice at Masters level. In 2016-7 while working for Salvos Counselling he set up and facilitated Pastoral Supervision Groups for chaplains within the Salvation Army and introduced distance supervision for those in rural areas. He went on to found a training organisation which specializes in training people how to lead others into an awareness of God’s presence and then how to facilitate sustained interaction with Him. He loves working with genuine Immanuel seekers and those that serve Him in any way.
Negotiating a supervision arrangement that works for you
You are welcome to Contact Michael to explore what arrangement would work best for you.