Episode 3: Types and Styles of Supervision

This episode explores the different supervision formats used in occupational therapy, focusing on how one-to-one, peer, team, and group supervision each serve different needs. Lynsay McFarlane-Shaw shares practical reflections on what makes supervision effective, especially the role of psychologically safe spaces and the kinds of questions that help clinicians think more deeply. If you only know one supervision model, this episode is a useful prompt to consider what else might support your current stage of practice. It also highlights how supervision can strengthen clinical reasoning, self-reflection, and decision-making across a career.

Key topics

• One-to-one supervision as the most common format in occupational therapy, from student days through to advanced practice

• Peer supervision and how a rotating facilitator can prevent a “free-for-all” while keeping the discussion balanced

• The difference between team supervision and group supervision, including when each is most useful

• Why a designated supervisor matters in formal supervision formats and how they create psychological safety

• How supervision needs change depending on career stage, role, and current challenges

• The value of external supervision for small teams, especially in charity and therapy settings

• Supervision styles, including reflective, curious, and coaching approaches

• How the right questions can help uncover missing evidence, alternative perspectives, or overlooked assumptions

• Why self-reflection and critical thinking are not just academic skills but daily clinical tools

• How group supervision can generate shared learning, even from issues that participants have not personally encountered

Timestamps

00:00 - Welcome to the OT supervision conversation

00:08 - Why supervision format matters in occupational therapy

00:46 - Formal supervision versus peer supervision

01:16 - Rotating facilitation in peer supervision groups

02:19 - Avoiding a free-for-all in peer discussion

03:19 - Team supervision versus group supervision

04:19 - Why psychologically safe supervision relationships matter

04:49 - Choosing supervision based on career stage and current needs

05:19 - Outsourcing supervision for small teams 06:19 - Thinking beyond “this is how we always do it”

06:49 - Supervision styles and how they differ from supervision formats

07:19 - The power of reflective and curious questions

07:49 - Coaching-style questions and constructive challenge

08:48 - Why talking things through helps clarify thinking

09:49 - Self-reflection and critical analysis as everyday practice

10:49 - Using supervision to test your thinking and spot blind spots

11:36 - Bringing your reasoning into supervision for deeper review

12:06 - How group supervision creates shared learning

13:06 - Coming prepared to supervision with your thinking process

14:05 - The takeaway: every supervision type offers something different

14:55 - Reflecting on what you bring into supervision

15:55 - Closing thoughts and invitation to share feedback

Notable quotes • “All types of supervision are valuable, but all types will give you something different.”

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