Dilemma Training

Dilemma provides existential supervision for trainees, registered therapists and counsellors and seasoned professionals. We can offer individual supervision or small supervision groups, either in Sheffield or in London. Supervision groups usually have four members.  We are happy to set up a group for colleagues, or make a special arrangement for professional organizations that need supervision for several of their counsellors.  But we can also offer you places on existing supervision groups with like minded people. Emmy van Deurzen has co-edited a book on Existential Supervision with Sarah Young (Palgrave 2009) and the following is an extract of her chapter in this book, explaining what existential supervision is:

"Existential supervision is a joint philosophical enterprise. It involves going beyond all the usual tasks of supervision in order to consider the supervisee’s work from the broadest possible perspective. Existential supervision takes a bird' eye view of the client's issues and concerns, and places them in the context of the client's life and her position in the world. It looks at the therapeutic relationship from a similarly wide angle and again foregrounds life itself. This means that all dimensions of the client's and therapist's experience will be considered in light of the stresses and strains of human existence. It is therefore possible to add an existential dimension to any form of supervision by extending the work towards such a meta-level of philosophical observation and human understanding. The existential approach to supervision is thus complementary to rather than a substitute for other forms of supervision. It allows for an integration of other elements of supervision within a consistent and clear philosophical framework While most forms of supervision will focus on the personal contributions of the client and the therapist, and on on the therapeutic relationship, existential supervisors additionally consider the universal factors that can throw light on the predicaments that bring people to therapy".