ASNQ requires that all its clinicians engage in reflective practice. Reflective practice is a method that helps our practitioners develop a detailed understanding of their clients as well as their professional selves, which helps them make sense of modes of relating and responding in session by both clients and practitioners. Supervision provides them with the space to broaden and deepen their understanding of their reactions to clients and the clinical decisions they make. Times when they may have countertransference reactions, when boundaries are potentially blurred, when there are ruptures in the therapeutic relationship, all require pause and reflection.
This allows them to examine and understand the particular situation or dynamic from a variety of perspectives in close detail. The process of reflection can be uncomfortable. Reflective practice requires an openness and honest dialogue in which practitioners intentionally seek to understand differing perspectives and entrenched patterns from a non-evaluative stance. Bringing a mindful attention to their work deepens their understanding and empathy so that they can address and correct unhelpful relational patterns and take responsibility for action.
Developing a meaningful understanding of one’s own and one’s client’s thoughts, feelings, responses and relational patterns allows us to challenge our assumptions, address difficult issues and modify our behaviour in order to avoid the pitfalls of poor practice.