Is *this* Supervision?
Whether you’re wearing that hat of supervisor or supervisee, if you’ve ever left a “supervision” session wondering to yourself “was that actually supervision?” then you’re not alone. A 2025 narrative review by Crow, Kiely, Harris and Palermo gives our profession much-needed clarity: supervision is a structured, ongoing, reflective practice with defined roles, a clear contract, agreed functions and intended outcomes. In short, it’s not ad-hoc troubleshooting; it’s a purposeful container for learning, safety and professional growth.
A quick checklist: “Is this supervision?”
The term supervision is used in many different ways across healthcare settings. Historically, it’s a word that has been used to describe anything from case discussion and mentoring to peer support, or informal professional conversations. While all of these activities can certainly be valuable, they are not necessarily supervision. Supervision has a distinct purpose: creating a structured, reflective space that supports professional growth, safe and ethical practice, critical thinking, and practitioner wellbeing. If you're unsure whether a meeting, relationship, or support process would reasonably be considered supervision, the following checklist can help. It is not intended as a strict pass-or-fail test, but rather an opportunity to reflect on the purpose, structure, and processes involved.
Defined people & roles: There is an identified supervisor and supervisee, with relevant capability for the focus of your work (e.g., eating disorders, leadership, research). Roles and boundaries are named.
A supervisory alliance: You experience psychological safety and collaborative intent. The relationship is explicitly attended to (not assumed).
A written agreement (contract): Purpose, frequency, format, confidentiality, documentation and evaluation are agreed up front.
Clear functions: Sessions intentionally balance formative (learning/skill), normative (quality, ethics, governance, accountability) and restorative (wellbeing) functions - rather than defaulting to “did I do the right thing in this case” kind of situation.
Regularity & structure: It occurs at an agreed cadence (e.g., monthly), with protected time, an agenda, notes and planned follow-up—versus sporadic “drive-by” consults. (This aligns with broader professional guidance that supervision should be routine across the career lifespan.)
Outcomes & review: Goals are set, revisited and evaluated: What’s changed in your practice? What risks were mitigated? What will you try next?
If you find yourself thinking, “Actually, I’m not sure this is supervision,” it is totally okay to take that seriously. Supervision is a professional space that you are investing your time, energy and often money into, and you deserve for it to be useful, purposeful and responsive to your needs. You might begin by naming what you have noticed with your supervisor: “I’ve been reflecting on what I need from supervision, and I think I’d like us to revisit how we’re using this space.” You can talk together about your goals, expectations, the balance between reflection and advice, how sessions are structured, and what would make supervision more valuable for you.
Of course, raising this may not feel straightforward. There may be a power difference, your supervisor may also hold another role in your professional life, or you may simply feel worried about disappointing them, creating tension or not being heard. If speaking directly feels difficult or unsafe, you might first talk it through with a trusted colleague, mentor or another supervisor, put your thoughts in writing, or consider what you would need in order to have the conversation safely. Sometimes a clear conversation and a reset are enough. And sometimes you may realise that this particular supervision relationship, approach or structure is simply not the right fit. It is okay to seek something different. Taking supervision seriously also means taking your own needs within supervision seriously.
Making the most of supervision (the practical moves)
1) Arrive with intention. Bring 1–2 priorities that consider what you what need
Learning: “I’d like feedback on my approach to BED assessment.”
Support: “I’m noticing myself feeling exhausted just looking at next week’s schedule”
Accountability: “Can I get some help to map risks and escalation thresholds in my current caseload.”
2) Collaborate on the contract. It’s ok to ask for clarity on scope (clinical, managerial, reflective), session frequency/length, documentation (who holds notes), confidentiality limits, and how to raise concerns. Revisit this at least annually - or sooner if your role changes.
3) Balance formats. Mix individual and group sessions; consider peer supervision for breadth and 1:1 for depth; use virtual options to maintain cadence if geography is a barrier. The key is fit-for-purpose, not one “right” mode.
4) Safeguard the time. Treat it like a clinical appointment: protected, documented, and respected. If sessions keep getting bumped, it’s totally ok to raise it ( and ps. Professional bodies also emphasise organisational responsibility to enable supervision.)
7) Attend to the relationship. Effective supervision is built on trust and collaboration. If something feels off, use the contract to guide a repair conversation - or adjust the match. The alliance is not a “nice-to-have”; it’s a core component.
8) Mind the career arc. Early-career needs (scaffolding skills, risk literacy) differ from advanced practice (complex judgement, leadership, mentoring others). Let your goals evolve with your role.
Bottom line: If your supervision is clear, contracted, regular, relationally warm and purposefully balances learning, support and accountability - then you can more confidently say, “Yes, this is supervision.” If not, use these prompts to shape it into the reflective, quality-enhancing, wellbeing-sustaining space that you, and our profession deserves.
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