Master Class Information

Psychologists wishing to maintain their supervisor approval are required to refresh their training every five years by completing at least one Board-approved master class. A master class is a competency-based training workshop requiring at least six hours of direct face-to-face training (video conference master classes are available for supervisors in rural, remote, outer-regional or overseas locations).

Psychologists who have had a break from supervision or from practice more generally, or feel they need to refresh their knowledge and skills across the supervisor competencies, are encouraged to complete full training (at least Part 2) instead of a master class.

CSS provides the following Board-approved Master Classes:


Reflective Practice and Parallel Process in Supervision

This workshop is a PsyBA approved one day Master Class providing participants who are already approved supervisors with ongoing AHPRA accreditation for 5 years.  The workshop covers theory and practice in implementing a reflective practice framework within a competency based supervision model of practice. Participants will develop meta-competencies for setting up, facilitating and evaluating supervisee reflectivity in practice. Participants will learn the process of dialogical reflectivity using the micro skills of immediacy and parallel proces as strategies to facilitate engagement, reflexivity and supervisee relational competence.

 The workshop will assume supervisors already have the foundational core competencies of establishing a competency based framework for supervision. Pre-reading resources are provided, including revision documents of competency based supervision, to ensure participants are familiar with current Board requirements. Opportunities for supervision case reflection and practice exercises are integrated across the one day workshop. 

Presenter: Christine Senediak
 

By the end of the workshop participants will:
  • Have sound knowledge of the theory and practice of reflective practice supervision
  • Understand the principles of how reflective practice promotes independent thinking and reflective competencies in psychological practice and the development of specific therapeutic and professional skills
  • Develop specific supervisee relational and reflective competencies using supervision tasks (live, review of video/audio recordings)
  • Develop skills in enhance supervisee exploration of cognition, behaviour, emotions in clinical practice, developing reflection-in-action, on-action and for-action
  • Have sound knowledge of the principles of the seven eyed supervision model (Hawkins and Shohet) and be able to apply these principles in supervision case reflection
  • Be able to teach supervisees to apply self-supervision as a reflective intervention.
     
Workshop Structure and Activities

The workshop is experiential and participants are asked to bring clinical issues to use in small group activities and role play practice sessions. Video excerpts and live demonstrations are used to aid learning.

Topics include:

• Defining reflective practice and dialogical reflexivity

• Experiential learning and transformational learning in supervision

• Creating a mindful space for reflection within the supervisory working alliance

• Demonstration of reflective questioning techniques and role play practice sessions

• Understanding how to identify and use parallel process as an intervention in supervision 

• Application to clinical case work: reflection in action, on-action and for-action; dialogical reflexivity

• Managing supervisory complexities: boundary issues; self issues; self-care of the profession
 

Flyer Reflective Master Class


Taking a Systems Perspective in Supervision

This workshop is a PsyBa approved one day master class providing a framework for clinicians, supervisors and managers to broaden their knowledge and skills in the theory and practice of systemic supervision.  Systemic supervision looks at ways to stimulate supervisee’s personal and professional development through the use of reflective and reflexive learning tasks, exploration of emotions and patterns using a systemic relational lens.  A systems approach to supervision and management considers cultural and contextual factors. This workshop will profide supervisors with the tools to better understand and map the relational dynamics between clients/organisations, therapists, managers and supervisors. By attending this workshop you will gain both knowledge and skills to conduct systemically focused supervision sessions within a competency based framework. This workshop will also offer you the opportunity to explore the use of tools and props to open up creative exploration of systemic patterns in both clinical/organisational and supervisory contexts.
 

What you will learn?  
  • How to meaningfully and experientially help the supervisee to use genograms, ecograms, props and tools in both assessment and treatment 
  • How to make connection between personal and professional (the ‘Person of the therapist’) 
  • How systemic ideas and practice can support management and clinical practice
  • How to set up, practice and evaluate the effectiveness of systemic supervision in your workplace
  • How to consider and manage wider systems issues (including cultural, institutional and the social landscape).
     
Why do this course?

By the end of this one day workshop you will:

  • Have a greater understanding of systemic theory and how to apply in a supervisory context
  • Improve awareness of and be able to better manage self-issues that can interfere and detract from professional practice 
  • Develop confidence and competence working with parallel process in supervision
  • Have a strong theoretical framework to apply systemic supervision in your workplace.

 

Workshop content
  • Systemic theory and its application to supervision 
  • Practical demonstration and application of genogram and ecogram/sociogram mapping for systemic analysis and intervention
  • Live demonstration of systemic practice in supervision 
  • How to stimulate personal reflection of self and review and manage  the relational factors within therapeutic, managerial and supervisory contexts
  • Exploration of parallel process in supervision 
  • Small group micro skill practice and review of case examples using a systemic supervision models.


Flyer Systems Perspective Master Class


Professional Practice and Ethical Issues in Supervision

This workshop is a PsyBA approved one day Master Class and provides participants with an understanding of a number of ethical and legal issues relevant to supervisors and supervisees, including confidentiality, dual relationships, direct and vicarious liability, duty to warn and informed consent. In addition, the workshop will provide opportunities to discuss ways to identify and manage professional practice issues that can commonly arise in supervision, such as dealing with underperforming supervisees, professional conduct feedback and evaluation and how to contract for supervision that provides a clear framework for remediation. Pre-reading resources are provided, including revision documents of competency based supervision to ensure participants are familiar with current Board requirements.

Presenter: Christine Senediak or Roy Laube
 

By the end of the workshop participants will:
  • Understand core competencies of ethical practice in supervision
  • Understand the multiple roles of the supervisor
  • Have a solid understanding of professional boundaries and issues of confidentiality as related to professional practice issues in competency based supervision
  • Have a solid understanding and be able to apply professional standards of practice in all aspects of supervision provision     
  • Understand ethical decision making in clinical and supervisory contexts
  • Be aware of legal responsibility and related decision making regarding ethical issues and clinical competence, and personal functioning
  • Be competent to apply ethical decision making regarding gatekeeping, monitoring and evaluation across all pathways
  • Be aware of and competent to manage challenging issues that may arise in the different contexts of supervision
  • Be able to identify and manage challenging supervisory relationships and difficulties
  • Be able to give difficult feedback and evaluation to supervisees
  • Be able to manage other challenging contexts of supervision (e.g. incompetent supervisee; role conflict, gender and religious issues).
     
Component / workshop structure and activities
  • Integrating ethical awareness in clinical supervision
  • Ethical guidelines in clinical practice and supervision
  • Developing ethical maturity; sustaining lifetime practices
  • The supervisory relationship – building an alliance on solid ground
  • The limits of confidentiality
  • How the APS Code of Ethics informs professional practice and the development of ethical maturity
  • Specific issues of ethics related to supervisor – supervisee relationships
  • Managing conflicts in supervision
  • Managing the underperforming supervisee
  • Using feedback and evaluation in competency based supervision.


Flyer Professional Practice and Ethics Master Class


Clinical Supervision for School Counsellors

This is a PsyBa approved one day master class that has been has been specially designed to meet the needs of those who are currently supervising or planning to supervise school counsellors and those working in a school context offering counselling and support to the school community.

Pre-reading will be provided in addition to class notes provided at the workshop. Small class practice sessions, application to case review and exercises are used throughout the training. This workshop covers supervision of school based issues including managing complex issues within the school system, ethical issues, working remotely and balancing different roles and responsibilities of school counselling.

Presenter: Lydia Senediak, BA (Hons), DipEd,MA (Childhood Studies), M (Clin Psychol)

 

By the end of the Workshop participants will:
  • Have a comprehensive understanding of the principles of setting up competency based supervision for school counsellors within the school system
  • Have a understanding of the interplay of systemic issues within the organisational culture of the school and how this impacts on the clinical practice, professional development and self-care of the school counsellor
  • Develop an awareness and review complex ethical issues as they relate to supervision for school counsellors
  • Facilitate ways for the supervisor to build reflective practice and self-supervision strategies to help the supervisee manage outside the supervision session
  • Build in ways to utilise technology in supervision for school counsellors that work remotely, as individual practitioners and with little supports
  • Have a solid understanding of managing line management vs clinical supervision within the school system
  • Review best practice strategies for establishing and reviewing peer, individual , in-house, external and group supervision contexts for school counsellors
  • Have a solid understanding of how to managing trauma, complex issues and school systems within a supervisory context
  • APS Framework for delivery of school psychological services.
     
Workshop structure/content 
  • This workshop provides participants with the knowledge and skills to implement competency based supervision within the school system, addressing the complexities of balancing educational, support, and administrative roles in supervision.
  • There is opportunity to reflect and review complex ethical and legal issues that arise in the school context 
  • Review of crisis supervision and managing risk in the school context
  • Managing systemic issues within a school based context
  • Legal issues in school counselling supervision 
  • Managing assessment and evaluation of supervisee competencies 
  • Pre-reading resources are provided, including revision documents of competency based supervision to ensure participants are familiar with current Board requirements.
     

Flyer School Counsellors Master Class


Supervision for Trauma Informed Practice

This is a PsyBA approved one day Master Class. Psychologists who are endorsed supervisors are eligible to enrol in the Master Class. By undertaking this workshop psychologists will be eligible to apply for ongoing accreditation as a Board approved supervisor for a period of 5 years. The study of neurobiology has made a significant impact in recent years on deepening knowledge about the effects of exposure to trauma. This workshop provides participants with an opportunity to critically examine the practice of competency based supervision within a trauma informed practice lens, including knowledge of trauma and its effects on clients, indirect trauma, core skills of clinical supervision and core practice principles of trauma informed practice and care.

Pre-reading resources are provided.

Presenter: Christine Senediak
 

By the end of the workshop participants will:
  • Have an increased understanding of the complexity of working with clients who have experienced trauma and the challenges for supervisees 
  • Gain insight into the personal, professional, organisational impact of trauma
  • Have knowledge of supervision strategies and processes to ensure that trauma informed practice remains at the forefront of practice when working with clients who have experienced trauma
  • Understand the framework/model of reflective practice in trauma-informed supervision management within a competency based framework.
     
Workshop structure/content 
  • Goals, nature and function of supervision within trauma-informed care
  • Setting up and implementing a reflective practice supervision framework within trauma- informed services 
  • Sensitivity to trauma in the supervisory context
  • Application of a competency based and reflective practice supervisory relationship
  • Setting up and maintaining safe supervision 
  • Maintaining boundaries and sound ethical practice in supervision 
  • Self-care of the professional
  • Managing complex presentations, ethical issues and agency related challenges 
  • Balancing educational, support, and administrative roles in supervision 
  • Evaluation of the supervisory process and diversity (managing expectations and responsibilities; providing feedback in trauma-informed supervision).


Flyer Trauma Informed Master Class


Clinical Supervision in Adult Mental Health: Managing risk, self-care and ethics

This workshop is a PsyBA approved one day Master Class providing a framework for competency based supervision for supervisees working with clients who present with complex mental health and comorbid presentations.  There is a focus on identifying risk and managing the often complex clinical issues that arise from working with clients who present with acute or chronic complex mental health presentations. Coverage of systemic issues and working within a multidisciplinary context and medical model is also addressed with regards to clinical management issues, reporting and confidentiality issues. Pre-reading resources are provided, including revision documents of competency based supervision to ensure participants are familiar with the Board requirements.

Presenter: Sam Vasta, B.Arts, B.Soc.Studies, M.Arts (Counselling)


By the end of the workshop participants will:
  • Have sound knowledge of the application of competency based supervision in adult mental health clinical contexts
  • Understand the principles of how reflectivity promotes independent thinking, improved clinician self-awareness, self-care 
  • Be aware of the importance of reflective supervision for therapeutic intervention and the development of meta competencies in practice
  • Be able to apply reflective practice & model reflectivity to supervisees
  • Identify and manage the challenges of working in the field of adult mental health and complex comorbid clinical mental health presentations 
  • Be able to identify and manage complex risk, legal and ethical issues 
  • Review clinical/workplace issues brought to the session by participants.
     
Workshop structure/content 
  • Understanding the ethical, legal and risk factors facing the supervisee working in an adult mental health context
  • Confidentiality – managing competing demands of system, client and family (Case review scenarios and critical decision making in practice) – small group discussion and role plays
  • Assessment, evaluation and feedback using a competency based framework: developing metacompetencies in practice
  • Dialogical reflexivity – enhancing supervisee self-reflection and in-action
  • Review of complex supervision issues that commonly arise when working in the area of adult mental health, including ethical issues relating to risk assessment, multidisciplinary teamwork challenges, confidentiality and self-care of the professional.


Flyer Adult Mental Health Master Class



Supervision of Supervision
 
This workshop provides a framework for supervisors to reflect, review and monitor their supervision practice. Supervisors attending this workshop will be provided with an opportunity to review and evaluate their supervision practice, and provide opportunities to discuss how they supervise, provide feedback and evaluate their practice of supervision. This will be done by supervisors providing examples of their experiences of supervision/questions and ‘stuck points’/dilemmas for review and reflection. In the final part of the day, supervisors will be offered a framework for how to conduct ‘Supervision of Supervision’ sessions, (i.e. how to review the supervision practice of psychologists presenting their supervision questions in supervision).

Presenter: Christine Senediak
 
By the end of the workshop, participants will:
• have an opportunity to reflect on the supervision they offer, with opportunities for reflection and discussion on how to identify possible stuck points and be better positioned to manage these in the future
• have an opportunity to participate in a live ‘Supervision of Supervision’ demonstration session using material brought to the workshop by participants
• begin to consider their role of supervisor and how to provide ‘Supervision of Supervision’ to others
• understand client-supervisee / supervisee-supervisor (parallel process) and how to identify and manage unhelpful relational patterns that might impact adversely on feedback and evaluation
• consider the use of ‘self’ in the therapeutic and supervisory contexts and how relational reflection enhances reflexive and reflective clinical and supervisory practice.

Workshop structure/content
 
Part 1: Review of the core principles of effective supervision. How to structure supervision and set learning goals aligned to the Board-approved supervisor competencies as set by the Psychology Board of Australia.
Part 2: A practice framework will be provided for supervisors to offer ‘Supervision of Supervision’
Part 3: Review of practice. Each participant will provide an example of one or more supervision sessions allowing for opportunities to reflect and refine the practice of:
• structuring and contracting supervision sessions aligned to core competencies
• feedback and evaluation skills
• managing practice issues/dilemmas and challenging supervisees.

Flyer Supervision of Supervision MasterClass
 


Group Supervision
 

This one day master class will provide supervisors with a framework for setting up, managing and evaluating competency based supervision, considering the wider context (demographics, client group and clinicians attending). The workshop will consider ways to apply a structured framework of supervision applying the Board-approved supervisor competencies as set by the Psychology Board of Australia. The workshop will offer opportunities to review how to incorporate these competencies aligned to student placements, intern and registrar programs, incorporating
reflective practice using structured learning tasks within the supervision session. Participants will have an opportunity to work in small groups practising setting up supervision, determining learning goals, delivering and participating in a group supervision session.

Presenter: Christine Senediak
 
By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:
• Develop skills in how to set up and deliver group supervision (Roles and responsibilities; Contract setting)
• Determine group learning goals dependent on shared goals and individual learning needs
• Determine how to manage difference in group sessions
• Know how to use role play in group supervision as a tool for learning
• Develop skills for the application of reflective practice within the group session
• Apply the competency framework within group supervision (assessment of skills and knowledge) in action.

Workshop structure/content
1. Best practice competency based group supervision
2. Setting up Group Supervision: Contract setting; Learning contracts; Identifying and managing difference in skill level
within the group; Roles and responsibilities; Core skills running group supervision
3. Different models of group supervision: Closed groups; open groups, peer groups; Applying a systems lens; Creative
applications in supervision; Visual tools, structural exercises; Providing feedback in supervision
4. The role of reflective practice - How to apply in a group setting with all group members contributing to the process of
reflectivity in action
5. Demonstration - Setting up a group supervision (contract setting, establishing learning goals)
6. Small group practice sessions and small group activities
7. Evaluation in supervision.

Flyer Group Supervision Master Class