"We don't receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us."

Marcel Proust

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Many years ago (1998 at the risk of dating myself) I was commencing my undergraduate studies at Brock University in Canada. I vividly recall a presentation made to my class from a campus organisation named the Corporate Adventure Training Institute who had built a high ropes course in the local woodland at the University. They were looking to recruit students to work with them who had an interest in experiential learning, outdoor adventure recreation, and group facilitation focused on team building and leadership development. I was instantly drawn to it, and in particular the concept of experiential learning.

 

I proudly worked in this industry for the better part of my young adult life first at Brock University, and later on at Adventureworks. I would then go on and apply these skills to support high risk youth through adventure therapy in Alberta where I ran a group home called Arrow Lodge for McMan Family Services. That I was involved in an industry that was grounded in service to others through mutual learning, all set in the great outdoors with a healthy dose of adventure was a rare privilege.

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Although I didn't realise it at the time, these experiences created the foundation for my work in professional supervision. To care for and guide people, an awareness of the responsibility and respect for safety in practice, and developing the foundations for facilitating reflective practice... it all started here. 

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"I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become."

Carl Jung

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In 2011 I immigrated to New Zealand, and later in 2012 I started working at Ara Poutama Aotearoa | The Department of Corrections. For quite some time I worked in a frontline capacity as a Probation Officer, before transitioning to work in the only maximum security prison in New Zealand as an Intelligence Officer. As part of this work I was vetted by the NZSIS, and trained at the Royal New Zealand Police Academy. Over many years I traversed and explored these complicated professional territories.

 

I was fortunate to experience significant personal and professional growth on this path. I received awards and recognition for my public service, and started secondments into more senior roles. But behind the scenes I was struggling at times, and I didn't understand what was happening. I started to encounter some peaks and valleys associated with my mind, body and spirit where my wellbeing became diminished. 

 

I know now that this was due to indirect trauma exposure from my work, in combination with receiving inadequate support on how to manage it. In my case the source of this indirect trauma came from a combination of working with the clients who were presenting with their own traumas and mental health issues, having to regularly read and process the details of their crimes, while simultaneously working in a relational and connected way with them to attempt positive change. 

 

As I worked through this in my own way I realised that I had started to drift away from my roots, and began to wonder if there might be a way for me to get back to that space I liked to be in which revolved around helping others grow and learn through guided reflection. It was at this juncture that I decided to shift roles and work in the Practice Leadership team. This was a team dedicated to providing individual and group reflective practice to support front line staff in both community corrections and prisons environments. 

 

Working in this team as an internal supervisor was very rewarding, but also challenging. It became apparent that the combination of frontline workload pressures, and the organisational culture created barriers that made it difficult to optimally support front line staff. A great number of staff were also struggling with indirect trauma exposure from their work, which further complicated matters. I understood the importance of supporting practitioners through supervision, yet I intuitively sensed I needed higher level training to best provide this support in such a challenging operational environment. In short... I needed to get better.

 

"Supervision interrupts practice. It wakes us up to what we are doing. It acts as an irritant interrupting comfort stories of our practice and facilitating the creation of new stories."

Sheila Ryan  

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​​​​​​​In 2020 I commenced my postgraduate studies at the University of Auckland in professional supervision to learn more about the field and to up skill and develop in my practice. The programme was multi-disciplinary and positioned professional supervision as an independent practice in its own right. I learned, theorised, and practiced alongside my classmates who came from the professions of psychology, social work, counselling, law, medicine, education, military, and police.

 

I am proud that in 2025 I graduated with a research Masters in Professional Supervision being the pioneering graduate in New Zealand from this programme. I was incredibly fortunate to have top tier academic supervisors in Liz Beddoe and Nicki Weld. As two of the leading experts on professional supervision in New Zealand they shaped and influenced my practice greatly. As part of this qualification I completed an independent piece of research which was focused on how professional supervision can support the legal profession in New Zealand to improve their poor wellbeing outcomes. The findings from my research indicated that professional supervision can help support practitioners with managing and improving their wellbeing, as well as providing growth and learning.

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"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes."

Marcel Proust

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​As I close off this piece of writing I am left to ponder what all of this means for you the reader as someone who might be considering contacting me to learn more about professional supervision. I think to start I might reflect that its been an interesting and evolving journey for me around reflective practice, and one I've been working on for many years as far back as 1998. As professional supervision is grounded in guided reflective learning, the amount of time working with these concepts is significant.

 

Another reflection is that my own experiences of indirect trauma exposure provides me lived experience which compliments my offering of professional supervision, especially if a client is seeking trauma informed supervision. Here I would point out the distinction and importance of lived, versus only intellectual, experiences of the complicated phenomenon of indirect trauma exposure which includes the typologies of vicarious trauma, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion fatigue. As a provider of trauma informed supervision I've worked diligently to embody and become the supervisor I wish I would have met all those years ago. 

 

My last reflection revolves around how based on both my experience and education I am well positioned to not only contribute positively to a healthy and functional supervisory relationship, but to hold the supervisory space confidently and professionally. I've worked in the helping professions for a significant amount of time, and am experienced working positively with a diverse range of practitioners. In combination with my post graduate training this provides a foundation for trust and support for a variety of people working or studying in the wider health, helping, and legal professions. 

 

In closing I'd offer that education, experience, and character count in the provision of professional supervision. Although I'd never make a boastful claim to expertise or mastery in this field, I am well positioned to offer a quality service and care a great deal for the clients I support. I continue to preserve my identity as a student of professional supervision to stay curious, humble, and open to learning and growth... while supporting others to do the same. 

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Thank you for making time to read these words, and I trust they have helped you understand more about who I am and what I can offer in the professional supervision space. Please feel free to get in touch any time. 

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Tyson 

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