Refresh Reset: Supportive Supervision in Education

08/07/2025

I remember well that mix of excitement and trepidation that comes with being a new school counsellor after graduating from University.

Trimester 1 has ended and Trimester 2 is beginning. Graduate Diplomas and Masters Degrees may be reaching completion. Those who are newly qualified may be coming off school placement and about to step into their first role, after having made a significant positive impression.

For all School Counsellors, Clinical Supervision is a must. But for those embarking on their career, there's something particularly special about those early supervision sessions and finding someone you connect with and trust. It's where you start to find your professional voice and build confidence in your skills.

Clinical supervision creates that structured yet flexible space where all kinds of important conversations can unfold naturally. Whether you're processing a tricky case, navigating school dynamics, or just need someone to remind you that you're doing better than you think you are. You don't have to figure it all out alone.

Having been a teacher, a school counsellor, a clinical supervisor, and providing clinical supervision to students from Deakin University, I understand these challenges intrinsically.

So, are you, (or do you know any), new school counsellors? I'd love to be the supervisor that supports you in your new role.

Feel free to reach out here about what this could look like for you, or meet me on an Inquiry Call at www.refreshreset.com.au

06/07/2025

Are we setting up teachers for success or overwhelm? Sometimes, the most well-intentioned policies create unintended consequences. This thought-provoking article by Lisa Wolff considers whether inclusion policies are working for students AND teachers.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/does-inclusion-increase-participation-lisa-wolff-jzhnc/?

The article, “The Conditions that Make Being a Teacher Almost Unmanageable”, by Martin McKenzie-Murray published in The Saturday Paper, explores the increasingly untenable conditions facing Australian teachers. McKenzie-Murray outlines 2 key factors: Inclusion & Participation Expanding responsib...

03/07/2025

As staff in schools, our present actions – whether fostering critical thinking, modelling empathy, or building inclusive communities – create ripples that extend far beyond classroom walls; we're actively crafting the future when we embrace the present moment in each interaction.

01/07/2025

Clinical Supervision provides a structured yet flexible space where all kinds of important conversations can unfold naturally. It's about creating that protective buffer between you and the emotional weight of your work.

Your wellbeing directly impacts the quality of care you provide. Taking time to process, reflect, and strategise isn't just professional development - it's essential self-care.

School Counsellors. Ready to explore how supervision can support your important work? I'd love to chat about what this could look like for you.

Feel free to reach out here or meet me on an Inquiry Call.

https://calendly.com/cathy-refreshreset/new-client-inquiry-zoom-call?

29/06/2025

"Mum, you need a hobby."

Thirteen years ago, my then-12-year-old son delivered this gentle truth bomb as I sat on the edge of his bed looking particularly worn out. (He's now 25 and currently living his best life island-hopping in Greece, but that's another story!)

As a single parent juggling work and everything else, I was running on empty. But sometimes our children see what we can't. That night, I googled hiking clubs. Soon after, my son was helping me pick out hiking poles and gear, probably chuffed his mum was finally taking his advice.

What started as a search for "something to do" became my passion. I began exploring the Adelaide Hills and sections of the Heysen Trail whenever I could steal away from responsibilities.

This past weekend, feeling that familiar need to reconnect with nature, I found myself in Melrose with Mt Remarkable as my backdrop. Twenty-six kilometres later – from Melrose to Alligator Gorge Road – after nearly 10 hours of creeks, hills (too many!), and rocky terrain, I was reminded why I keep coming back.

We started at 6:30am to catch the sunrise. It's considered one of the trail's toughest sections, and I felt every bit of it. But I've now completed about 98% of the Heysen Trail, with lifelong friendships forged along the way. Next up: six days through Parachilna in the Flinders Ranges.

Nature fills me with awe – an emotion I didn't even realise I was starving for until I found it when I hiked the Tour du Mont Blanc 2 years ago.

Sometimes the best advice comes from the most unexpected sources. What hobby or passion has transformed your life?

24/06/2025

AI has always had a place in what I do. (Don't worry, it's not what you think!)

A-wareness and I-ntuition, alongside other inter and intrapersonal skills, form the foundation of the support I provide to educators through my Psychoemotional Strength Program (PSP).

PSP sessions offer a structured, compassionate framework for reflective practice that recognises the whole person behind the teaching professional role.

This nurturing approach integrates dialogue, expressive therapies, and neuroscience-informed practices. Staff are supported to develop resilience and create sustainable pathways for post-traumatic growth that honour their complete identity—both as professionals and as individuals.

These sessions actively prevent the cumulative impact of secondary traumatic stress, emotional fatigue, and burnout that too many educators face.

Want to know more? Connect with me or head to my website: https://refreshreset.com.au/psychoemotional-strength-program-for-school-staff

22/06/2025

School Counsellors. This tool may be useful to you when exploring anger with children and young people.

You'll find many useful (free) resources on my website and invite you to connect with me anytime for more. 💛

19/06/2025

Bruce Lipton's perspective on love as the ultimate growth signal highlights how positive emotions can fundamentally transform our biology and consciousness. When we experience love, our cells respond differently, promoting healing and expansion rather than protection and contraction.

17/06/2025

Peace, compassion, courage: 4 Guided Meditations for Parents of someone suffering with an Eating Disorder.

I came across Eva Musby’s website by chance, and listened to one of her guided meditations for parents. She acknowledges the ongoing grief and hardship, while gently facilitating the expansion of one’s capacity to be with their child, in the moment.

I have worked alongside several young people in schools, as they courageously navigate their way through an eating disorder. I have such empathy for their parents. This might be a trusted resource for them.

Buy Eva Musby's Four guided compassion meditations, designed to help you access a state of compassion for yourself and for your child.

15/06/2025

All things supervision!

Here’s my first reflection (of many to come) from the Australian Clinical Supervision Association National Conference that I attended this week.

Sarah Hamilton PhD (Statewide MHAOD Professional Practice Leader, Social Work, Metro South Addiction and Mental Health Service, Queensland Health) led a Keynote ‘Enhancing supervision feedback effectiveness and experience using an evidence based multi lens tool’.

Sarah Hamilton has a PhD in Clinical Supervision and developed the Generic Supervision Assessment Tool (GSAT), which is freely available online https://www.gsatresources.com/index.html

Some of Sarah’s research delved into “What are we (as supervisors) getting right?”

❓ What ranked the highest?

💡 Demonstrating respect for the supervisee

💡 Ensuring professional boundaries in supervision, including maintaining confidentiality

💡 Demonstrating genuine interest in the supervisee, their work and their clients at all times

❓ What ranked the lowest?

💡Making the evaluation criteria clear for the supervisee

💡 Acknowledging and addressing cultural diversity issues in the session

💡 Negotiating and facilitating the goals of sessions

💡 Encouraging the supervisee to practice specific clinical skills in supervision

Her beautiful slide showing Cultural Diversity (posted here), and all its facets has got me thinking.

❓ How might I address these facets more explicitly with my supervisees?

❓ How might I use the GSAT to support my supervisees’ growth?

Thank you, Sarah, for your generosity and leadership and for the most informative and enriching Keynote.

12/06/2025

When guiding young people through difficult times, I'm reminded that "Butterflies rest when it rains because it damages their wings. It's okay to rest during the storms of life. You will fly again when it's over."

As educators and school counsellors, we create safe spaces for students to pause, recover, and gather strength during personal challenges. Teaching resilience means honouring rest as essential to growth.

10/06/2025

This is an excerpt from ‘Tips For Working With Shame’ pdf page 9, 2017, Dr Russ Harris.

Dr Russ Harris provides a practical and comprehensive resource for working with shame. Here's a reminder for school counsellors to consider his work.

(Note: in ACT, insight is not an end within itself but rather a means to facilitate defusion, acceptance, self-compassion).

Access the full PDF, 'Working with Shame' here: https://refreshreset.com.au/resources/working-with-shame-in-the-act-model