Pastoral supervision is a safe and sacred space for you to reflect on your work for your benefit and for the benefit of those you serve. It will help you to connect with yourself which helps to understand situations and reactions better. It is a space to intentionally focus on you for both your health and wellbeing but also for longevity in your role of serving others. I have heard supervision described as reflecting on the past for the benefit of the future.
It is not coaching, mentoring, counselling, pastoral care or spiritual direction. At times a session may lean in one of those directions, but that isn’t a place where the session would stay for any period of time. Referrals can be made if one of those disciplines is required on an ongoing basis.
Some may feel concerned about the word “supervision”. In this situation though the word is used as looking at the bigger picture. Supervision in this context is not about reporting back to a line manager or an organisation but it is about looking at the bigger perspective. If any documentation is required by an employer this would be done in consultation with you. We would discuss it in our initial meeting to make sure any reporting can be discussed and agreed upon at the outset. Generally, certification of attendance is all that is required.