Doing Therapy Differently: How Clinical Supervision Supports Progressive Practice
Therapy doesn’t have to fit into a rigid mould. In fact, some of the most meaningful and impactful work happens when practitioners step outside traditional frameworks and embrace dynamic, client-centred, and socially conscious approaches. At Progressive Therapeutic Collective (PTC), we’re all about supporting practitioners who want to do therapy differently.
Clinical supervision plays a vital role in this journey. It provides a space to reflect, innovate, and ensure that your practice stays aligned with your values while meeting the unique needs of your clients. Here’s how supervision can help you reimagine therapy and create meaningful change.
What Does “Doing Therapy Differently” Mean?
Doing therapy differently means breaking away from one-size-fits-all approaches and prioritising methods that are:
Client-Centred: Tailoring your approach to the individual, their identity, and their lived experiences.
Culturally Responsive: Acknowledging the impact of culture, race, and systemic oppression on mental health and therapy.
Inclusive and Affirming: Creating safe spaces for marginalised communities, including LGBTQIA+, neurodivergent, and disabled clients.
Ethically Grounded: Challenging harmful norms and centring care that aligns with progressive values.
It’s about recognising that therapy exists within broader systems of power and privilege and adapting your practice to address these realities.
How Supervision Supports Dynamic Practice
1. Encouraging Innovation
Doing therapy differently often requires creativity and experimentation. Supervision provides a safe space to explore new ideas, test out unconventional approaches, and refine techniques that truly resonate with your clients.
2. Addressing Systemic Barriers
Many practitioners face systemic challenges that impact their work, such as inequitable access to resources or institutional biases. Supervision helps you navigate these barriers while advocating for systemic change within your practice and community.
3. Ensuring Ethical Alignment
When you’re working in non-traditional ways, it’s essential to ensure that your methods remain ethical and client-centred. Supervision provides the guidance and reflection needed to maintain this balance.
4. Building Confidence in Your Approach
Doing things differently can feel risky, especially if it challenges traditional norms or expectations. Supervision helps you build the confidence to stand by your values and trust in your ability to deliver meaningful care.
A Progressive Lens on Therapy
At PTC, our supervision sessions are grounded in progressive principles that support practitioners who want to challenge the status quo. Here’s how we approach doing therapy differently:
Decolonising Practices: We help you explore how colonial frameworks have shaped therapy and how to adopt approaches that honour diverse cultural knowledge and traditions.
Exploring Intersectionality: Our sessions encourage you to consider how intersecting identities—such as race, gender, class, and ability—impact your clients and your practice.
Empowering Advocacy: Whether it’s pushing back against harmful organisational policies or advocating for systemic change, we support you in becoming a powerful voice for justice within your field.
Celebrating Individuality: We believe there’s no “right” way to do therapy—only the way that works best for you and your clients. Our supervision is tailored to help you find and embrace your unique approach.
What “Doing Therapy Differently” Looks Like
Here are some examples of how practitioners are redefining therapy:
Integrating Cultural Practices: Incorporating rituals, storytelling, or other cultural elements into sessions.
Adopting Non-Linear Methods: Moving away from rigid frameworks and focusing on organic, client-led progress.
Prioritising Accessibility: Offering sliding scales, flexible session formats, and other accommodations.
Centreing Marginalised Voices: Tailoring therapy to meet the specific needs of underrepresented communities.
These approaches not only improve client outcomes but also make therapy more inclusive, empowering, and relevant.
Supervision as a Catalyst for Change
Clinical supervision isn’t just about reflecting on your work—it’s about transforming it. At PTC, we see supervision as a space for bold ideas, critical conversations, and meaningful growth. Whether you’re new to progressive practice or a seasoned practitioner looking to refine your approach, we’re here to support you every step of the way.
Contact us today to learn more or book a supervision session. Let’s reimagine therapy together and create a future that’s as dynamic and diverse as the clients we serve.