Healthcare or ministry requires us to bring our whole selves to work day by day. As a supremely human endeavour, we bring ourselves to those we care for. They experience not just our professional selves (and make no mistake, our skills and professional competencies are crucial) but also our human selves. The professional is experienced in the human by the human we seek to care for.
For the people we care for to experience our humanity is a key part of developing a trusting therapeutic and caring relationship. Patients/ clients connect with us at a human level which in turn builds the bedrock of trust for connection and care.
Being human calls us to be authentic, to be real, to show up to those we care for. As we care in this way we open ourselves to meaningful and compassionate experiences. These experiences nurture and sustain our professional lives and in themselves provide rewarding and meaningful workplaces. It also helps to shape a culture of compassion and meaning.
All human care in the midst of illness or in areas where there is pressure and sadness impacts on us as human beings. To feel the weight of this care is utterly human and normal. We open ourselves to feel, to be there, to accompany those who turn to us for care. To maintain our capacity to be there day after day in this meaningful and compassionate way requires us to look after ourselves in a healthy and responsible way. Professional supervision provides such a place to do this. In confidence and trust a space is held to share our experiences without negative judgement, to gain new perspective, to grow, to flourish. It keeps us human in all our professional engagements.
Clinical Pastoral Supervision & Education 