Take Time to Reflect
In my role as a mentor, coach and reflective/pastoral supervisor, I have discovered over many years to reflect is hard for many people. It requires to reflect not just on events as they happen but the feelings surrounding those events. This is where it often becomes a bit sticky. Take time to prepare and reflect before each time we connect.
I have pondered about this and established some values I work with whether I am the facilitator of the conversation or a participant.
Take Time to Create Space to Reflect
If we spend time preparing and pondering what we bring to the sessions not just content
These Values are
Trust – in the processes of our practice and reflection upon it. This trust enables us to examine, question and explore and experiment: to be critical. We/You are the primary authority on our own experiences; believing this requires trust, at least initially. It is in our letting go that we find our direction.
Self-Respect – for our beliefs, actions, feelings, values and identity. This is the knowledge that we have something vital to express and share with our-selves and others and can do it well. We therefore communicate respectfully with ourselves, tackling inevitable fears, hesitations and the voice of destructive inner critics. With the certainty gained from learning to respect ourselves, we can be creatively uncertain where we are going.
Responsibility – for all our actions, including those of reflective practice. It is in taking full responsibility for our actions that we gain freedom to understand, explore, and experiment with inspirational playful creativity.
Generosity and genuineness – We willingly give energy, time, and commitment to personal and professional development in a focused spirit of enquiry. This giving enables us to receive inspiration and experience from others, and from our enhanced self-understanding
Positive regard and empathy – Reflecting upon incidents involving clients is respectful, even if the experiences were negative. Any feeling or thought can be explored within the privacy of reflective practice, both for cathartic release and in order to understand how and why an incident happened and develop practice. These feelings, rather than being directed towards individuals are safely contained within the reflective process: unconditional regard (Rogers 1969) can be maintained.
Empathy is the imaginative process of leaving our own feelings and exploring others perspectives. Negative memories, thoughts and feelings can facilitate learning from them: Celebrating positive ones can be life and work enhancing.
All of these values help us all to wonder, be wise, and discover a pathway of wellbeing for ourselves and those we rub alongside in our day to day lives and roles.If you are looking for a coach, mentor or pastoral supervisor: Take time to Connect with me on jennie@jenniefytche.co.uk
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