Supervision for Trauma Informed Practice

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP:

Trauma Informed Supervision

Delivered via interactive videoconference. This workshop is a PsyBA approved one day Master Class which will provide participants who are already approved supervisors with ongoing AHPRA accreditation for 5 years. 

The study of neurobiology has made a significant impact in recent years on deepening knowledge about the effects of abuse and trauma and the impact working in this space has on the health professional.

Supervision approaches to help prevent vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue and burnout will be discussed with the view to help supervisors strengthen their ability to support practitioners integrate both reflective and reflexive practice and self-care strategies in their practice. Supervisors will learn how to structure supervision to ensure supervisees integrate the principles of trauma informed practice and care in their clinical practice, applying appropriate culturally-safe assessment and trauma informed treatments. Examples will be discussed and modelled to develop supervisee awareness and responsiveness to the possible adverse impact of trauma work.

The discussion on trauma informed supervision principles will include how to apply these key concepts in both clinical work and workplace settings. It will explore how trauma-informed principles can be embedded within competency-based supervision consistent with the AHPRA Professional Competencies and Code of Conduct for psychologists.

Through case discussion and experiential practice, participants will learn how to strengthen supervisee self-awareness, manage vicarious trauma, and promote ethical, culturally safe and sustainable clinical practice.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

By the end of the workshop, participants will have:

• Create supervision environments that are psychologically and culturally safe, maintaining clear boundaries and respectful communication
• Apply trauma-informed principles to reflective and reflexive supervision that enhances awareness of values, bias, emotion and power dynamics
• Provide constructive, feedback-informed supervision that supports learning, growth and professional accountability
• Promote ethical decision-making, health equity and human-rights-oriented practice in trauma contexts
• Foster self-care, resilience and wellbeing in supervisees and supervisors to prevent burnout and compassion fatigue
• Develop a framework/model of reflective and reflexive practice for trauma-informed supervision practice within a competency-based framework
• Develop supervisee competencies for boundary setting and self-care.

WORKSHOP PRESENTER:

Christine Senediak is a Board-approved supervisor trainer with over 40 years of clinical and supervisory experience. She has extensive expertise providing individual, peer, group, and organisational supervision to psychologists, social workers and Allied health professionals working in child, adolescent, and family services, schools, adult mental health, trauma, drug and alcohol, gambling, sexual assault, and cross-cultural contexts. Trained as a systemic and multi-generational family therapist, Christine brings a systemic lens to supervision, considering the broader relational and organisational context in understanding clinical challenges. Her supervision practice is grounded in reflective practice, fostering self-awareness and reflexivity to strengthen the therapeutic alliance and address relational dynamics. She integrates systemic, cognitive-behavioural, mindfulness, and person-centred approaches to create a flexible, evidence-informed framework that supports both professional growth and effective client care.

This workshop is an AHPRA approved (Psychology) Master Class and complies with the requirements for the Psychology Board supervisor requirements.  The workshop is also open to nurses, social workers, psychotherapists, counsellors, allied health and experienced practitioners who have at least 5 years clinical and supervisory experience and who have already undertaken introductory supervisor training. Non-psychologists should enrol via the Allied Health Supervisor Master Classes page