Close up image of open hands of a person talking to a group of people who are seated in a circle listening

MENTORING and SUPERVISION
for ACUPUNCTURISTS
& Allied Health Practitioners

Welcome to our UK based community; a professional network for acupuncturists and allied health practitioners

  • “As practitioners we offer our patients guidance, support and encouragement – it seems a good idea to offer it to ourselves.”

    Isobel Cosgrove

Why have Supervision?

Consider yourself… how can you work better and feel better about your patients, your practice and yourself?

You may be a new practitioner or have patients with complex health problems.  You may be working with a patient over many years or considering a change in your practice.

Mentoring and supervision offers a safe place to explore issues that arise around our work.   It refreshes and inspires our practice and provides us with an opportunity to satisfy our professional needs.

The Mentoring Supervision Network is unique in that all qualified members are also acupuncture or allied health practitioners themselves.  They can offer an insight to issues and help you to relieve the tensions of working in a clinical setting or making career decisions.

  • Supervision includes a more collaborative experience within a small group of practitioners while mentoring refers to one-to-one work. Both are facilitated by the supervisor.

    Mentor supervisors are trained to provide a supportive framework where you can explore and resolve the challenges you face with your practice, your patients and your own self-maintenance. You enter a confidential relationship where you set the agenda.

    Your mentor supervisor is skilled in active listening, giving feedback, asking questions and offering observations. They guide and support you in finding strategies or solutions which you have defined, framed, and are ready to take forward.

    All work is done in a safe, confidential and non-judgemental space.

    You are encouraged to refrain from self-critical judgements which helps to reinforce your self-confidence and your self-esteem.

    • Building up a practice

    • Ethics & Confidentiality

    • Clinic management

    • Time management

    • Boundaries

    • Burn Out

    • Isolation

    • Working with emotional issues

    • Lack of confidence

    • Work / Life Balance

    • Transitions

    • Relationships with other professionals

    • Income challenges

  • Starting your practice, managing your professional life and seeing patients with complex health problems are some of the reasons that new practitioners seek mentoring supervision.

    Having a confidential and supportive forum to discuss a case / treatment plan can be reassuring and help you with diagnosis, treatment principles and patient behaviour management.

    Build the practice you want and deserve.

    A one-to-one relationship could be most valuable at this early stage or working in a group could offer community and group support.

    A mentor supervisor will help you to identify the best forum for you to enquire, learn and reflect upon your new professional life.

  • One-to-one work gives you dedicated time to look at your practice with an experienced mentor. You may be newly qualified and benefit from exclusive time. You may be longer in practice but prefer to work with your issues in a private setting.

    One-to-one sessions can be tailored to your bespoke needs and requirements.

    Group Supervision usually consists of 4-6 peers who commit to meet and discuss a wide range of practice and professional issues. The supervisor creates a framework for discussion and is trained to support you to explore an issue in a non-judgemental way. This enables a range of perspectives and experience to be shared.

    The group may keep in touch between sessions to offer each other support. Peer group communication forms the basis for a network of local practitioners and, in turn, becomes a valuable asset to your practice.

About us

We are a community of UK mentor-supervisors. 

Membership of the network is open to all practitioners who have completed the Training Course in Mentoring and Supervision.

The Network exists to provide

  • a community base for qualified mentor-supervisors

  • a resource for information about mentoring & supervision practice

  • a directory of UK mentor-supervisors 

  • an information resource for training, workshops & conferences

Our network aims

  • to improve and maintain professional standards & best practice

  • to raise the profile of mentoring and supervision in the acupuncture, shiatsu and other allied health professions

  • to campaign for mentoring supervision to be embedded in healthcare professions

  • to promote continued professional development & training