Sometimes the most important thing we bring to clinical supervision is something we cannot quite explain.
A session may have gone well. The client may have spoken openly. We may feel confident in our interventions. And yet something stays with us: tension in our shoulders, an unexpected tiredness, a difficult silence, or an urge to reassure.
What if these responses are worth becoming curious about?
This is one of the questions at the heart of my approach to body-informed clinical supervision.
Clinical supervision is about more than what was said
As therapists, we listen to stories, emotions and relationships. Yet our own bodies are present in the therapeutic encounter too. We notice changes in breath, posture, energy and attention, and experience moments of connection, uncertainty, ease or discomfort.
These responses can be useful material for reflection—not because every sensation has a hidden meaning, but because they may invite us to consider what is happening in the therapeutic relationship.
What happens when a client stays with us?
Most practitioners recognise carrying a session beyond the consulting room. Working with bereavement, trauma, children, young people and complex presentations can demand a great deal of us.
We might feel unusually protective, frustrated by an apparent lack of progress, or responsible for creating change. Rather than interpreting these reactions immediately, supervision can create room to ask:
- What did I notice in myself at that moment?
- What happens in my body as I remember the session?
- Does this response belong to me, to the relationship, or to a wider context?
- What might I need to consider clinically or ethically?
There may be several explanations. The point is to remain curious rather than assume we already know.
The body offers information, not certainty
A therapist might describe feeling heavy after a session with someone experiencing profound grief. It would be tempting to conclude that they had absorbed the client’s sadness. But perhaps they were tired, the encounter touched something personal, or they had been holding considerable responsibility.
Body-informed supervision is not about making automatic interpretations. It means bringing the practitioner’s embodied experience alongside clinical facts, theoretical understanding, ethical responsibilities and the client’s circumstances.
When the therapist feels stuck
Sometimes we understand a client’s history and formulation yet feel unable to move forward. We might notice pressure to intervene, a reluctance to challenge, or a growing sense of helplessness.
We can explore the interventions and the therapeutic goals, but also ask what happens to us when the work becomes stuck. Does our attention narrow? Are we holding our breath? Do we feel responsible for fixing something?
This exploration does not make the therapist the centre of the client’s work. It may allow us to return to that work with greater freedom and clarity.
What Clay Field Therapy® has taught me about presence
My work with Clay Field Therapy® has deepened my appreciation of communication beyond words. In the clay field, I attend to contact, pressure, movement, rhythm and how someone meets resistance—not to assign symbolic meaning, but to remain attentive to their lived experience.
That quality of attention also informs my supervision practice. Sometimes the practitioner senses something important but cannot yet articulate it. There can be an urge to rush towards an explanation or solution. At times, allowing space to notice is more productive.
This does not mean supervision becomes a Clay Field Therapy session, or that a supervisee needs to practise somatic therapy. It means taking the whole practitioner into account.
Children, young people and complex clinical work
When supporting children and young people, non-verbal communication may be especially significant. Movement, silence, play and the practitioner’s own responses can all merit reflection.
We explore these alongside developmental understanding, family context, safeguarding, boundaries and the therapeutic relationship. This may be relevant for play therapists, creative arts therapists and practitioners working non-verbally, but it matters for talking therapists too.
A supervision space to think, feel and reflect
My supervision practice is grounded in person-centred values and informed by the Seven-Eyed Model. I bring experience from counselling, NHS bereavement services, play therapy, Clay Field Therapy® and clinical leadership.
I am interested in the client, the therapist-client relationship, the practitioner’s reactions, ethical decision-making and the wider organisational context. Good supervision makes room for uncertainty and challenge without judgement.
Try body-informed reflection between sessions
Reflection need not wait until the next supervision appointment. Sometimes five minutes after seeing a client can help us notice something we might otherwise overlook.
What am I carrying from this session? What happened in my body as I listened? What might I want to explore in supervision?
To support this, I have developed two practical resources:
- 5-Minute Body-Informed Supervision Check-In — a free downloadable PDF offering a gentle starting point for noticing bodily, emotional and relational responses.
- The Body-Informed Supervision Toolkit — a more detailed resource to structure reflective practice and prepare for clinical supervision.
Neither resource replaces clinical supervision. They are designed to deepen curiosity and support thoughtful clinical reflection.
Explore the free check-in and Body-Informed Supervision Toolkit
Do I need to practise somatic therapy?
No. You do not need to practise Clay Field Therapy®, bodywork or somatic psychotherapy. I offer supervision for counsellors, psychotherapists, play therapists, creative arts therapists and student or trainee practitioners.
Sometimes we focus on clinical decisions, risk and safeguarding; sometimes on relationships, practitioner wellbeing or professional development. Embodied awareness is an additional perspective, not a compulsory technique.
Finding the right supervisor
Qualifications, experience and ethical understanding matter. So does the quality of the supervisory relationship. Can you bring uncertainty without feeling judged? Can you acknowledge a mistake or difficult feeling? Can your supervisor both support and challenge you?
For me, supervision is not simply about identifying the next intervention. It is about supporting practitioners to remain present, reflective and responsive in demanding work.
Clinical supervision in Nuneaton, the West Midlands and online
I offer body-informed clinical supervision in Nuneaton and the West Midlands, as well as online clinical supervision across the UK. Both qualified and student practitioners are welcome, with 60- and 90-minute options available.
If you want a supervisory relationship that supports thoughtful clinical decision-making while making room for your own experience as a therapist, I would welcome a conversation.
Sometimes the question is not simply “What happened in the session?” but “What happened in me as I was there?”