Compassion Focused
Supervision
Experiential learning of CFT or CF-ACT/CBT/Therapy
Cultivate your ‘Compassionate Therapist Self’
Feel supported and prevent burnout
I provide Compassion Focused Clinical Supervision/Consultancy for:
- CFT Therapists, who want specialist CFT supervision from a CMF-trained supervisor;
- CBT, ACT and EMDR Therapists, who want to develop integrative practice or enhance existing practice by integrating more compassion;
- All therapists, psychologists, and counsellors, who want good quality supervision in a safe space, caring for your wellbeing and preventing burnout.
Offering you an experiential and relational style of supervision, drawing on the ‘Compassion Focused’ model in the process of supervision itself, we:
- Deepen your learning of Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) or CF-ACT/CBT/EMDR case conceptualisation and competencies in an experiential, embodied way;
- Cultivate your wise, courageous ‘Compassionate Therapist Self’;
- Care for the human being you are, so you feel supported, sustained and empowered.
I Warmly Welcome You
I invite you to take a pit-stop for a moment to reflect.
What do you need from your supervision, as both a therapist and a human being?
As a therapist, do you:
- Care deeply about your work and need to feel supported with it?
- Need to feel meaning in what you’re doing, with opportunities to grow your skills and practice so that you can flourish?
- Have times (like everyone) when you’re not sure what to do or doubt yourself, and need some guidance and a cheerleader?
You are also a human being, and you are valuable in your own right.
You have your tricky brain, and your work is emotionally challenging. You need to know someone cares for you, and you’ve got a safe place to work through things.
My Supervision Approach
I offer you clinical supervision/consultancy of your CFT/integrative therapy practice, whilst also working on practicing what we preach in the supervision process.
We are informed by Prof. Paul Gilbert’s model of CFT as a ‘way of being’, as well as the important contributions about experiential personal/reflective practice (e.g. Experiencing CFT from the Inside Out by Kolts, Bell, Bennett-Levy and Irons; and Developing a Compassionate Internal Supervisor by Bell, Dixon and Kolts), attachment in supervision (e.g. Hawkins and Shoet, and CFT Supervisor Training by Lucre and Wood), experiential supervision (e.g. SHAPE, Morris) and Dr. Hayley Quinn’s work on ‘caring for the human in the therapist chair’.
Compassionate Supervision Relationship
Our foundation is our supervisory relationship, with compassion running through its veins. You don’t need to talk about all your stuff, but we do orient toward the fact that you are a human too. My intention is to offer you a really supportive space, and a secure supervisory attachment relationship, embodying compassion relationally between us.
Experiential & Relational Development
To develop in a practical and authentic way, we can use a variety of methods to work on your competencies and give you the practical help you need with your case conceptualisations and clinical dilemmas. For example, we can practice experiential role plays, chair work, and more (in addition to case discussions and other staple methods).
This can include working on the relational processes between your clients and you, and your therapist processes. We cultivate courageous relational interventions – so that you can model compassion to your clients and use your direct access to their presentation in the room with you as a powerful vehicle for change. This is when your CFT practice comes alive, as a relational, experiential therapy that goes beyond manualised Compassionate Mind Training (CMT).
We can also practice CMT exercises, such as by starting sessions with centring rhythm breathing or cultivating your compassionate inner supervisor. This can help you feel safe, grow your capacity to offer compassion to your clients, and develop authentic, procedural (vs declarative) knowledge of CFT. As Prof. Paul Gilbert says, you have to get in the driver’s seat if you want to learn to drive (Introduction to Experiencing CFT from the Inside Out).
Your ‘Compassionate Therapist Self’
In this approach we can cultivate your ‘Compassionate Therapist Self’. When you feel safe and supported, your soothing system and compassionate self are activated, allowing you to tap into the wisdom, courage and warmth you hold within you.
Often you already know deep down what to do with your work; you just need the support to tune into and trust yourself.
About Me
I’m an experienced Compassion Focused-ACT and CBT Clinical Supervisor. Half my week is spent supporting individual clinicians with private supervision, as well as my roles as a supervisor for the Diploma in CFT (Compassionate Mind Foundation) and Postgraduate Diploma in CBT (University of Birmingham).
I completed an MA in Psychology from the University of Oxford in 2009, then spent some time in the community mental health field and academic psychology research before qualifying as a psychotherapist (PgD CBT). I worked in NHS primary and secondary care, and I now work primarily with trauma and complex cases with adults in private practice.
My specialism is Compassion Focused Therapy, integrated with ACT, CBT, FAP, EMDR and parts work. I am Accredited as a Practitioner and Supervisor by the BABCP, and as a Practitioner by EMDR Europe.
I am trained as a supervisor by the University of Birmingham and in CFT-specific supervision through the Compassionate Mind Foundation (CMF), with extensive further training in CFT. I get regular consultancy and ‘supervision of supervision’.
I fell in love with CFT as it resonated with me as a person prone to shame and getting out of balance myself. Clinically, I found it offers a more profound way of working with my complex clients for more meaningful change.
My Supervision Style
Each day I try to show up with courage and authenticity, engage with what matters most, and foster meaningful relationships with myself, my family, and my clients and colleagues. Whatever matters to you, I invite us to do some of this work together. It’s my privilege and joy to be there with you.
In supervision with me, you’ll find someone who listens to what you need from our space. My CFT friends joke that I have a voice for the radio sounding gentle and warm. I also have a playful side, and I will be honest and challenge you when needed. As well as your coach, I’ll be your fan, cheering you on and recognising your accomplishments.
Professor Russell Kolts
"Having known Sarah Benkwitz for several years as both a friend and valued colleague, I'm proud to recommend her highly as a supervisor who can help you learn CFT from the inside out. She has a strong grasp of the critical nuances of CFT, and embodies what she teaches. If you want to deepen your ability to apply CFT deeply with your clients and in your own life, work with Sarah!"
Cindy Fox
"What I found most helpful about Sarah’s clinical supervision was her unconditional support, which I felt even while she was giving me constructive feedback. I really appreciated that her focus was 100% on me and my work with my clients. Sarah has tremendous insight and I always felt very respected and seen by her. I learned so much from Sarah and I am grateful for her time, skill, and authenticity. Thank you, Sarah!"
Contact Me
Please get in touch today to discuss your needs and how we can work together.
P.S. Looking for therapy for therapists instead? Check out this page.