Creative Supervision Across Modalities - by Anna Chesner & Lia Zografou (Paperback)

About the Book

This book takes a theoretical look at creative supervision, discussing the background, philosophy and creative technique, and demonstrates, through a series of chapters written by experienced practitioners from a variety of disciplines, that creative approaches to supervision are applicable and beneficial across modalities.

Book Synopsis

Creative methods can bring depth and new perspectives to the supervision process. This book proposes that a firm understanding of supervision theory is the vital foundation to utilising the power of creativity in reflection and learning, and demonstrates that these creative approaches are applicable across disciplines, providing useful reflective tools across and beyond the arts therapies.

Part One of the book provides a theoretical approach to supervision, with a presentation and discussion of the philosophy, theory and place of creative technique. Part Two demonstrates the fluency of creative approaches to supervision with examples of application within different fields, including dramatherapy, psychodrama, family therapy, art therapy, psychoanalytic psychotherapy, dance and movement therapy and church ministry, provided by experienced practitioners from within those fields.

Based in the practice and philosophy of the Creative Approaches to Supervision Diploma course run by the editors and taught at the London Centre for Psychodrama Group and Individual Psychotherapy, this book is a comprehensive resource for anyone with an interest in supervision across the caring and educational disciplines.

Review Quotes

the editors (...) bring together both the theoretical underpinnings to the approach and a collection of settings and ways of working in which creative supervision can be applied... I found these chapters fascinating, thought provoking and stimulating... this book holds treasures for our roles as play therapist supervisors... The text... is rich in experience, ideas and inspiration. Whether you read it right through or "pick-and-mix", you will be encourage to grow and explore new ways of working in your supervisory practice.--Play Therapy

This book is rooted in the creative supervision programme at the London Centre for Psychodrama... The authors write concisely yet at depth about complex levels of supervisory processes. Throughout they demonstrate a profound understanding of the challenges of working creatively while remaining focused on the primary supervisory purpose, which is elegantly achieved by using 'the supervisory question'as a tool.
I enjoyed this book is a well articulated, grounded resource for supervisors and trainee supervisors working in creative therapeutic fields and a useful addition to their essential reading list.

--Steve Page, coach, supervisor and author "Therapy Today"

Creative supervision or Creative facilitated reflection, uses a range of creative approaches that use objects, role play, puppets and even storytelling, within a theoretical frame of different supervision approaches. This book is aimed at the creative supervisor or creative reflective facilitator giving a summary of the theoretical approaches and examples of how the approach has been developed and applied in different therapeutic settings i.e. modalities.--Janet Dowling, Creative Reflective Supervisor "F & F, Facts & Fiction"

This book offers a valuable addition on the topic of supervision... Overall, this book provides both a great insight into theoretical understanding, by also practical appliances of creative supervision. I can recommend this book to anyone who works in a field, where supervision is key to excellent clinical practice and/or who wants to be inspired by various ways of how supervision can be used creatively in all different types of settings.--Cornelia Bent "Approaches: Music Therapy & Special Music Education"

This book provides both a great insight into theoretical understanding, but also practical appliances of creative supervision. I recommend this book to anyone who works in a field where supervision is key to excellent clinical practice and/or who wants to be inspired by various ways of how supervision can be used creatively in all different types of settings.--Cornelia Bent "Approaches: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Music Therapy"

Good to see another helpful addition to the books on supervision, especially one which illustrates how "supervision should be a sand-pit in which we play, more than a law-court in which we judge". The authors draw on their experience as psychodramatists and creative therapists to show how supervision can be a rich place of creativity, experimentation and learning through play in its deepest sense. The book includes many useful approaches for using art, enactment and embodied approaches in a variety of supervision settings. It will be particularly useful for those supervising the creative therapies.--Professor Peter Hawkins, co-founder and Director of the Centre for Supervision and Team Development (www.cstdbath.co.uk)

The authors have done an excellent job in blending theory and creative methods in a very readable and accessible form, demonstrating their core belief that intentional focus on creativity enhances supervisor practice. They have included contributions from very different fields and combined them in a skilful way that gives the book a coherence within the diversity, and leaves the reader with the desire to experiment more within their own supervisory practice.--Robin Shohet, editor of Passionate Supervision and Supervision as Transformation

This book imaginatively combines theory and creative approaches to supervision, and is a must-read for both supervisor and supervisee. It is written in a manner that is both informative and practical, yet it also challenges the supervisor to move beyond the cultural conserve of supervision. It has a strong theoretical grounding that acknowledges the work and creativity of others and introduces innovative ideas from dramatherapy, psychodrama and playback theatre to enrich the supervisory experience.--Jinnie Jefferies, Founder and Co-director, London Centre for Psychodrama

This much-needed cross-disciplinary book adds to the current literature on supervision. It will be indispensable to practitioners and students from a range of modalities. Each chapter thoughtfully illustrates a suggested model, resulting in a tightly structured volume. Creative practice fits into a common theory whilst inviting key topics in supervision to be considered.--Professor Helen Payne, University of Hertfordshire, UK

About the Author

Anna Chesner, MA is a UKCP registered psychodrama and group analytic psychotherapist and has been qualified as a supervisor for over twenty years. She has trained dramatherapists, integrative counsellors and psychotherapists and is course director of the London Centre for Psychodrama Group and Individual Psychotherapy Training in Creative Supervision. She has presented her work in creative supervision in the UK and internationally at the Federation of European Psychodrama Training Organisation conference, Jerusalem 2011. She has written extensively on supervision and action methods, including her book 'Dramatherapy for People with Learning Disabilities, A World of Difference'. Lia Zografou, MA is an HCPC and BADth accredited dramatherapist, supervisor and trainer, as well as a business consultant and coach, based in Greece and working internationally. She is on the faculty of the Gestalt Edge training programme in Gestalt in Organizations in Greece. Lia is a professional actor and playback performer and holds degrees in History of Art and in Theatre. She consistently applies creative approaches to her consulting and therapeutic work and has published on therapy and supervision in Greece and the UK.