One of the insights I had while participating in the Occupational Therapy Clinical Workshops in Wellington this month was how attending a conference can be like attending professional supervision. You take the chance to step out of everyday practice, reflect on your work, and try something new.
My post-graduate studies have led me lately to exploring the technique of Motivational Interviewing. Based on the Trans-theoretical Model (aka Stages of Change Model), Motivational Interviewing seeks to support the client to move from a position of ambivalence about a change, towards motivation to undertake that change. One of the strategies Motivational Interviewing employs is to place limited focus on sustain talk (statements from the client that maintain the status quo) while emphasising and paraphrasing change talk. Change talk has its own momentum – “I can see myself…” ” It is possible I might….” “I intend to do that…”. Change talk increases motivation and supports behaviour change.
A successful supervision session supports the supervisee to move from being stuck with the dilemma s/he faces, through a reflective process, to reach a plan to elicit a positive change.
I encourage you to take the opportunity to step out of your everyday practice, reflect in supervision and try something new.
