5th DCU Supervision Conference: Widening the Supervisory Frame

This supervision conference will offer a range of keynote speeches, masterclass workshops and roundtable discussions, which will be of relevance to counsellors, psychotherapists, psychologists, nurses, social workers, social care workers, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, doctors, teachers and other helping professionals who are providing and receiving clinical supervision.

The conference will take place on Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th May 2025

Day 1 Keynote: Working Within Diversity: A Framework for Anti-Oppressive Supervision

• This keynote will explore the transformative power of Working Within Diversity and anti-oppressive supervision. Delegates will be introduced to the Working Within Diversity 5-component model of anti-oppressive practice and to its accompanying Anti-Oppressive Supervision model. Delegates will be able to identify what the key elements of anti-oppressive practice are and how we can utilise these models in our supervision practice, to be consciously working ‘within’ diversity and how supervisors can effectively understand anti-oppressive environments, relationships and processes in supervision.

Day 2 Keynote: Cultivating Professional Growth and Development through Creative and Playful Interventions in Clinical Supervision

• In this interactive keynote we will explore how integrating creativity and play into clinical supervision can enrich the professional development of helping professionals. Participants will learn how implement creative approaches to foster deeper reflection, enhance problem-solving skills, and build resilience in supervisees. Drawing on evidence-based practices and experiential techniques, this presentation will demonstrate how playful interventions can create safe and dynamic spaces for growth while addressing complex challenges in the helping professions.
• Attendees will leave with practical tools and strategies to energize their supervisory relationships and inspire innovation in their practice.
   

Masterclass 1 (Day 1 & repeated Day 2): Myira Khan: Mastering Anti-Oppressive Supervision: Strategies for Working Within Diversity
 

• This masterclass will provide an in-depth exploration of anti-oppressive supervision, walking you through the Working Within Diversity model of anti-oppressive supervision and deep-diving into the component of ‘Power’ and the principle of ‘Cultural Attunement’ to identify how we can utilise this model in our supervision practice.
• This masterclass will equip supervisors with knowledge, skills and practical tools to understand the key principles of anti-oppressive supervision, to recognize how power dynamics and systemic inequalities manifest in supervisory roles, relationships and processes and how to create culturally-attuned, pro-active and intentional anti-oppressive relationships, spaces and processes.
   

Masterclass 2 (Day 1 & repeated Day 2): Dr. Jodi Mullen : Weaving Play & Playfulness into Supervision for Professional Growth
 

• This session explores practical, playful applications and frameworks for supervision, highlighting strategies that boost practitioner engagement and performance.

• Participants will discover creative, playful approaches to goal setting and feedback mechanisms within culturally responsive supervision. Case studies and interactive discussions will provide real-world examples, ensuring participants leave with actionable strategies to implement in their supervisory roles.

Masterclass 3 (Day 1 & repeated Day 2): Therese O'Driscoll: Embodied, embedded , emergent practices in supervision
 

• This workshop embraces the view that ‘supervision should not be reduced to the human and material realms but should also be open to the “more than human world”’ ( Abrams 1996 in Hawkins and Shohet, 2012:110).

• Situated within the beautiful grounds of DCU this workshop will offer participants the opportunity to bring supervision outside of the confines of four walls to include in the faces and voices of the other than human world in the dialogue. Emphasis will be placed on embodied and embedded practices that allow fresh perspectives to emerge in the supervisory relationship.
• Participants are invited to bring loose, warm and comfortable clothing to attend this workshop and also clothing suitable for damp or chilly weather. Those who sign up in advance will be sent an embodied task to work with in their own home and office environments. This will facilitate embodied familiarity with the material and to draw more from their own felt experience on the day.