1st Edition

Mindfulness and Compassion in Integrative Supervision

By Maša Žvelc, Gregor Žvelc Copyright 2024
    252 Pages 9 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    252 Pages 9 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    Mindfulness and Compassion in Integrative Supervision presents an original integrative and transtheoretical approach to supervision that emphasises the importance of mindful awareness and compassion in supervision practice.

    Psychotherapists are taught about importance of compassion for their clients, while the role of bringing self-compassion toward themselves is often neglected. This book offers novel perspectives on mindful awareness, self-compassion, physiological synchrony, and emotional regulation in supervision. It presents various mindfulness- and compassion-oriented methods and interventions that are used within an attuned supervisory relationship. Through vignettes and transcripts of supervision sessions, the authors illustrate the power of mindful awareness and self-compassion to transform supervisees’ dysregulated experience related to their psychotherapy work. The book embraces all main dimensions of human experience: physiological, affective, relational, cognitive, behavioural, spiritual, and contextual.

    The book will have an international appeal amongst supervisors from different supervision approaches and psychotherapists/counsellors who may find it useful for their practice, self-care and the prevention of burnout.

    PART 1: Theoretical foundations 1. Introduction to mindfulness- and compassion-oriented integrative supervision 2. Relating from the observing self: Mindfulness and compassion in supervision 3. Mindfulness- and compassion-oriented transformative supervision model 4. Emotional and physiological regulation as the fourth supervision function 5. Supervisory Alliance and Supervisory Alliance Rupture Repair 6. Methods and interventions in integrative supervision PART 2: Mindfulness- and compassion-oriented methods in supervision 7. Mindfulness-oriented interventions in integrative supervision 8. Mindful processing in psychotherapy supervision 9. Methods of emotional and physiological regulation in supervision 10. Compassion-focused interventions in integrative supervision 11. Self-compassion processing in supervision 12. Self-care and prevention of burnout in mindfulness- and compassion-oriented supervision

    Biography

    Maša Žvelc, PhD, is an assistant professor of psychology at University of Primorska. She is an international trainer and supervisor of integrative psychotherapy. She is co-founder and director of the Institute for integrative psychotherapy and counselling, Ljubljana where she leads the training in integrative psychotherapy and supervision. She is a co-author of the book Integrative psychotherapy: A mindfulness- and compassion-oriented approach.

    Gregor Žvelc, PhD, is a full professor of clinical psychology at the University of Ljubljana. He is an international trainer and supervisor of integrative psychotherapy and transactional analysis. He is the co-founder of the Institute for integrative psychotherapy and counselling, Ljubljana and co-author of the book Integrative psychotherapy: A mindfulness- and compassion-oriented approach.

    ‘This excellent book from two very experienced supervisors integrates the wisdom of mindfulness and compassion into the art and science of clinical supervision. It offers a deep dive into the many complexities of the therapeutic and the supervisory relationships. It highlights the importance of and ways of helping the supervisee be grounded in the body and settled in the mind, which facilitates openness to supervision and the long journey into developing mentalization and many other psychotherapy skills. I learnt much from this very accessible and richly informative volume and will be a repeat returner.’

    Paul Gilbert, PhD, FBPsS, OBE, Professor of clinical psychology, University of Derby, President of the Compassionate Mind Foundation, Founder of Compassion Focused Therapy

     

    ‘Žvelc and Žvelc’s masterful book on supervision invites the reader to embrace mindful awareness, interpersonal compassion, and self-compassion — essential process that facilitate a transformation of supervisee’s possible emotional dysregulation and vicarious trauma into a calm therapeutic presence. While most mindfulness approaches focus on mindfulness and compassion as a technique to be learned by the client or therapist, the authors emphasize the importance of bringing mindfulness and compassion to the heart of the supervisory relationship, to the benefit of clients, supervisees, and supervisor.’

    Richard G. Erskine, PhD, Institute for Integrative Psychotherapy; Professor of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Deusto, University, Bilbao, Spain

     

    ‘Themes of mindfulness and compassion have become increasingly prominent in the thinking of psychotherapists of widely varying orientations. Maša and Gregor Žvelc have brought the wisdom of innovative and integrative therapists to the application of these critical themes to the realm of supervision. In doing so, they have made a valuable contribution not only to our thinking about supervision but to our understanding of therapy as well.’

    Paul L. Wachtel, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor, Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, City College of New York, Past President, Society for the Exploration of Psychotherapy Integration

     

    ‘Following on from their excellent book, Integrative psychotherapy: A mindfulness- and compassion-oriented approach, Maša and Gregor Žvelc bring us another application of their integrative approach, this time, to supervision. The authors offer the reader a lovely integration of theory with practice, with lots of vignettes. This is book which, while retaining its focus on supervision, brings and offers a breadth and depth of knowledge. Apart from their mindfulness and compassion for their supervisees, trainees, and colleagues – as well as the reader –authors also bring a generosity of spirit to these pages. I highly recommend this book.’

    Dr Keith Tudor, Professor of Psychotherapy, Auckland University of Technology

    ‘This book is an essential resource for integrating mindfulness and compassion-oriented practice into supervision. Drs. Žvelc and Žvelc provide a thorough theoretical framework, along with tons of vignettes and exercises that supervisors can read today and use tomorrow. These lessons offer mental health professional innovative, yet practical ways to relate to themselves in times of difficulty and stress, a benefit they can pass along to their clients.’

    Susannah Coaston, Ed.D., Associate Professor, Northern Kentucky University

    ‘In this groundbreaking and exciting book, Maša and Gregor Žvelc use the latest findings on physiological synchronization and memory reconsolidation to offer unique methods for developing mindfulness and compassion, first in the relationship between supervisor and supervisee and then between supervisee and client. Their transtheoretical, phenomenological, and experiential approach to supervision is intuitive and easily understood. The book is sure to become an excellent inspiration for supervisors and therapists of all contemporary schools of psychotherapy.’

    Jan Benda, Ph.D., Charles University, Prague

     

    ‘This book by Maša and Gregor Žvelc is a superb addition to the supervision literature, a valuable resource for both beginning supervisees and those experienced in the field.  It is an excellent follow-up to their book on Integrative psychotherapy, bringing a similar mindful, compassionate approach to supervision and emphasising the importance of here and now body awareness and autonomic regulation within the supervisory relationship. This is a treasure trove of a book, integrating theory and innovative ideas, practice and techniques.’

        

    Joanna Hewitt Evans, Gestalt and Integrative Psychotherapist, Supervisor and Trainer in private practice, United Kingdom. Secretary, European Association for Integrative Psychotherapy

     

    ‘Žvelc and Žvelc have elegantly brought together a number of contemporary themes in psychotherapy practice and woven them into a research-based and coherent model for supervision. The book is rich with nuggets of wisdom that I am certain will inspire both new and experienced supervisors alike. By combining mindfulness with compassion-oriented principles, and current thinking on interoception and emotion regulation, Žvelc and Žvelc have developed a conceptual framework which will naturally lead to a deepening of reflection and increased capacity for here and now relational contact for both the supervisor and supervisee.’

    Mark Widdowson, UKCP registered psychotherapist, senior lecturer in counselling and psychotherapy, University of Salford