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Mindfulness ISSN 1868-8527 MindfulnessDOI 10.1007/s12671-014-0292-4
A Framework for Supervision forMindfulness-Based Teachers: a Space forEmbodied Mutual Inquiry
Alison Evans, Rebecca Crane, LucindaCooper, Jody Mardula, Jenny Wilks,Christina Surawy, Maura Kenny &Willem Kuyken
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ORIGINAL PAPER
A Framework for Supervision for Mindfulness-Based Teachers:a Space for Embodied Mutual Inquiry
Alison Evans & Rebecca Crane & Lucinda Cooper &
Jody Mardula & Jenny Wilks & Christina Surawy &
Maura Kenny & Willem Kuyken
# The Author(s) 2014. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com
Abstract Over recent decades, there has been an exponentialgrowth in mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs). To dis-seminate MBIs with fidelity, care needs to be taken with thetraining and supervision of MBI teachers. A wealth of litera-ture exists describing the process and practice of supervisionin a range of clinical approaches, but, as of yet, little consid-eration has been given to how this can best be applied to thesupervision of MBI teachers. This paper articulates a frame-work for supervision of MBI teachers. It was informed by thefollowing: the experience of eight experienced mindfulness-based supervisors, the literature and understandings fromMBIs, and by the authors’ experience of training and super-vision. It sets out the nature and distinctive features ofmindfulness-based supervision (MBS), representing this com-plex, multilayered process through a series of circles thatdenote its essence, form, content and process. This paper aimsto be a basis for further dialogue on MBS, providing a foun-dation to increase the availability of competent supervision sothat MBIs can expand without compromising integrity andefficacy.
Keywords Mindfulness-based interventions .
Mindfulness-based stress reduction .Mindfulness-basedcognitive therapy . Supervision . Framework . Training .
Good practice guidance
Introduction
With the upsurge in interest in mindfulness-based interventions(MBIs) for a range of populations acrossmany different settings,more people are undertaking training to teach mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and mindfulness-based cogni-tive therapy (MBCT). This growth has created a bottleneckbecause although there has been increased demand for MBIs,there are a limited number of MBI teachers and supervisors. Areport of commissioned surveys of service users and GPs(Mental Health Foundation 2010) made key recommendations,including expanding mindfulness-based training and supervi-sion opportunities. Within the UK, training in MBSR and/orMBCT is available at three university centres, within someNational Health Service (NHS) contexts and through severalindependent training organisations. Guidance for good practicein teaching MBSR and MBCT have consistently pointed to thecentrality of supervision at all levels of experience.
To date, there is not a professional mindfulness-accreditingbody. However, training organisations are coming together toagree on good practice guidelines. The UK Network forMindfulness-Based Teacher Training Organisations has rep-resentation from all the mainMBSR,MBCTand Breathworkstraining organisations within the UK. A recent priority hasbeen to set out guidelines to promote good practice forteachers and trainers of teachers (UK Network ofMindfulness-Based Teacher Training Organisations 2011).In the teacher guidelines, supervision appears in the section“on-going good practice requirements”, under the secondelement, “engagement in processes which continue to develop
A. Evans (*) : J. Wilks :W. KuykenExeter Mindfulness Network, School of Psychology, University ofExeter, Exeter EX4 4QG, UKe-mail: [email protected]
R. Crane : L. Cooper : J. MardulaCentre for Mindfulness Research and Practice, School ofPsychology, Bangor University, Gwynedd LL57 1UT, UK
C. SurawyDepartment of Psychiatry,Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford,Oxford OX3 7JX, UK
M. KennyCentre for the Treatment of Anxiety and Depression, CentralAdelaide Local health Network, 30 Anderson St, Thebarton,South Australia 5031, Australia
MindfulnessDOI 10.1007/s12671-014-0292-4
mindfulness-based teaching practice”. The supervision sec-tion reads:
Regular supervision with an experienced mindfulness-based teacher, including:
i. Opportunity to reflect on/inquire into personal process inrelation to personal mindfulness practice and mindfulness-based teaching practice.
ii. Receiving periodic feedback on teaching through videorecordings, supervisor sitting in on teaching sessions orco-teaching with reciprocal feedback.
Crane et al. (2010) also emphasised how supervision is anintegral part of the learning process from basic teacher trainingto continuing professional development. In the NationalInstitute for Clinical and Health Excellence depression guide-line (NICE 2009), under effective delivery of interventions fordepression, we see the recommendation that all practitionersshould receive high quality supervision. In addition, theCentre for Mindfulness in Medicine, Healthcare, and Societyat the University of Massachusetts Medical School considersit to be one of the standards of practice that those who trainteachers to deliver MBSR receive MBSR supervision from acertified teacher trainer (Kabat-Zinn and Santorelli 2011).
Developing a Framework
In this paper, we propose a framework and description ofmindfulness-based supervision (MBS) with the intention topresent a conceptual view of what occurs in MBS. Our ideashave been developed from and informed by the MBI trainingprogrammes we work within, our personal mindfulness prac-tice and the lineage of mindfulness practice and understanding,and the perspective of eight experienced supervisors (fromdescriptions of their experiences of giving and receivingMBS).
There is a diversity of frameworks and models of supervi-sion for different therapeutic interventions. Although thesehave influenced MBS, it is beyond the scope of this paper topresent detailed reviews of these. In brief, the literature thathas informed our conceptual understandings has included thefollowing: literature on the pedagogy of MBSR and MBCTteaching on which the process of MBS is based, literature onsupervision in therapeutic contexts (which provided a usefulreference point for consideration of core structures, frame-works and elements of supervision), and the limited literatureon mindfulness supervision within counselling (with underly-ing intentions of being in the present moment).
From the outset, dialogue with a group of experiencedmindfulness-based supervisors seemed an important part ofthe process of developing a conceptual framework aboutMBS. As part of a dissertation, the first author set up tele-phone interviews to begin to generate dialogue about the
nature of MBS. To enable the process to be illustrative ofUK MBS practice, five UK supervisors were chosen.Furthermore, to enable the process to be informed by practicein the international context, three international supervisors(Australia, Netherlands and USA) were chosen. All supervi-sors worked in organisations responsible for training andsupervising MBSR/MBCT teachers. They had long-standingpersonal mindfulness practices and had been teachingMBSR/MBCT for between 8 and 18 years. These supervisorsare referred to as interviewees or by a pseudonym whenquoted. The first author works within a university setting withexperience of supervising in the context of postgraduate train-ing in mindfulness-based cognitive therapies and approaches,a National Institute for Health Research-funded trial, an NHS-funded clinic delivering MBCT/MBSR and with a range ofindependent MBCT/MBSR teachers as well as receivingMBS from a number of supervisors over the last 9 years.
The interviews explored the intentions, functions, content,structure and processes of MBS. They were recorded andtranscribed, firstly, for further reference and secondly, to pro-vide anonymised quotes to illustrate themes. The first authordrew together a framework which was informed by the infor-mation from these interviews, themes generic to all supervi-sion and her personal experience of MBS. This initial frame-work was adapted and refined by further exploration anddialogue with the coauthors, who also all work within orga-nisations training in MBIs (several of them also supervisewithin wider contexts, e.g. NHS-funded clinical work, re-search trials and with independent practitioners).
A Framework for Supervision of MBSR/MBCT Teachers
MBS integrates supervisory processes employed in other con-texts with central aspects of MBSR and MBCT pedagogy.Two important aspects that emerged from the interviews weremindfulness as a key aspect of MBS and also the particularinquiry approach found within MBIs. These two distinctivefeatures formed the foundation for the framework, along withother elements identified.
This complex, multilayered process is represented in Fig. 1.A series of circles denotes the different layers of supervision.The outer circle is the essence of the process and practice ofmindfulness that infuses the whole supervision process. Themiddle circles represent the form and content that is brought tosupervision. The inner circle represents the process that happenswithin the supervision space to enable learning and integration.
The Outer Circle—the Container of Mindfulness
Akey aspect ofMBS is the holding of everything that happensin supervision within a container of mindfulness. Crane et al.
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(2010) wrote, “The essential premise here is that the whole ofthe teaching (and training) process is mindfulness-based”(p.79). Likewise, the whole of supervision is mindfulness-based. By maintaining a thread of mindfulness, the supervisorplays an important role supporting teachers to sustain theintention to practice what they teach. The particular charac-teristics of this circle are the following:
Embodied Presence
The essence of MBS is an embodiment of the principles andprocess of mindfulness. These have been represented byKabat-Zinn (1990) as the attitudinal qualities of the following:non-judging (awareness of experience as it is, seeing withkindness when we are adding interpretation and judgementand stepping back), patience (allowing time for experience tounfold at its own pace), beginner’s mind (keeping a freshnessand aliveness to the present moment), trust (developing a trustin the validity of our own experience and intuition), non-striving (moving into non-doing, letting things be as theyare), acceptance (being with reality in a compassionate way)
and letting go (coming back to immediacy of present experi-ence, disentangling from unhelpful habits).
The way in which the teacher embodies the spirit andessence of the practices is a key ingredient of mindfulness-based classes (Crane et al. 2010). The teacher communicatesthis through their own sense of being. Supervision is alsoimbued with curiosity and a willingness to be fully presentto whatever arises. The supervisor is likewise embodying thesame spirit and so implicitly invites the supervisee to speak,listen, think, reflect, sit, feel, write and hold their body througha kindly and curious awareness of this present moment.
The movement of compassion towards suffering is anessential part of embodied mindfulness-based teaching.Research shows that increases in compassion and mindfulnessare an important influence in changing the nature of therelationship between cognitive reactivity and outcome(Kuyken et al. 2010). Compassion has many different threadsincluding kindness, empathy, generosity and acceptance aswell as courage, tolerance and equanimity. The supervisorholds these qualities within the process of MBS, which in turnallows space for the supervisee to connect with compassion
Fig. 1 Framework forsupervision of MBSR/MBCTteachers showing the distinctivefeatures
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for themselves and their participants. This implicit embodi-ment of compassion mirrors how compassion is primarilyconveyed within MBSR/MBCT. Therefore, it is importantthat teachers are sustained in their capacity to imbue theirteaching with compassion. Effective supervision can chal-lenge the supervisee to explore difficult places which, withoutthe counter balance of compassion, may trigger reactive pat-terns of avoidance, fixing, judging and blaming. A compas-sionate atmosphere can guide the supervisee away fromjudgemental patterns towards a more creative and balancedspace. Supervisees can begin to see “a thought as thought, anemotion as emotion, a habit as a habit and begin to take the ‘I’out of the process” (Feldman and Kuyken 2011, p. 153).
Care must be taken to fully understand compassion and notmisinterpret it as the need to be warm and supportive in a waythat creates inappropriate comfort, as supervision can some-times have a challenging edge to it as well. Several intervieweesspoke of this important edge in the supervision process:
There is something that irritates me, that if you are amindfulness teacher/supervisor you have to be lovely,warm, cuddly and compassionate. You know I can beand I am not. We do have a responsibility around hold-ing, to be fierce and confront. We are holding the integ-rity here. (Emily)
A sense of common humanity is an important aspect ofsupervision by encouraging the teacher to include themselvesin the teaching process:
An enormous amount of what I do is helping people toground themselves and teach from their wobbles ratherthan trying to get rid of them. It is a practice that has tobe developed over time. I don’t just say it, we do it. Wedo it a lot in the supervision session, we FOFBOC (Feeton floor, Bum on chair) (The Mindfulness in SchoolsProject 2013). And I encourage them to use that in theirteaching, with any opportunity to teach from that wob-ble. Can I create an environment where we can playwiththat in supervision? And hopefully that can then betaken out into their work. (Diane)
Integrity
A key guiding intention of supervision is upholding integritythrough supporting and developing the supervisees’ teachingpractice and how they relate to it. There are a number ofelements of integrity that are addressed in supervision.
The integrity of the MBSR/MBCT programme itself is acentral element of supervision. The Bangor, Exeter and Oxfordmindfulness-based interventions: treatment assessment criteria(MBI: TAC) (Crane et al. 2012a, 2013; Crane et al. 2012b) is
increasingly being used as a tool in supervision. TheMBI: TACdescribes six domains essential to the teaching ofMBIs, namelycoverage, pacing and organisation of session curriculum; rela-tional skills; embodiment of mindfulness; guiding mindfulnesspractices; conveying course themes through interactive inquiryand didactic teaching; and the management of the group learn-ing environment. As an assessment tool, it aims to assessintegrity in three areas, namely the teacher’s competence (theextent to which the approach is carried out as originallyintended), their level of adherence (the extent to which theteacher includes the key curriculum elements of anMBSR/MBCT course) and differentiation (the extent to whichthe teacher excludes elements that are not part of theMBSR/MBCT model and programme). In addition to beingan assessment tool, it provides a structure and framework forteachers and supervisors to reflect on teaching with integrity.
In the pressured and outcome-orientated cultures in whichmany teachers are implementing mindfulness-based ap-proaches, there may be drivers that push towards a dilutionof integrity. This is described by some of the supervisors in theinterviews and observed from our experience of trainingteachers, particularly within National Health Service (NHS)settings. It is important for supervisees to have space toexplore how to respond to these potential dilutions with ap-propriate levels of firmness and flexibility.
Monitoring adherence to good practice is an importantaspect of supervision because the supervisee may not havethe experience to make clear judgements regarding integrity.The supervisor then plays an important role in helping them tobe aware of the limits of their own competence. An interview-ee spoke of this:
I supervised a new teacher who wanted to teach fiveMBSR courses all at once and instead of my saying,“Absolutely no, it’s impossible,” I said, “Well, can wemaybe take it down to three?” I really explored with himwhat was going on within his body whilst we reflectedon this. So it was more a sense of OK somaybe now youcan see why this is a lot more complex and difficult thanyou thought. (Julia)
A function of supervision is to challenge practice that ispoor, unethical for participants or unhealthy for teachers. Attimes, this requires a reflective exploration and, in someinstances, a straight expression of a concern. This can be adifficult balance for supervisors who also have an intention tocreate a safe space for the supervisee to reflect openly.Importantly, there are some ethical processes that the supervi-sor cannot monitor so the contracting process needs to makesure these are taken care of (e.g. those working in health caresettings will have clinical responsibility resting elsewhere.)
When considering integrity, it is also important to acknowl-edge and stay true to the underlying philosophy of
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mindfulness practice, which is based on the tradition ofBuddhism, and to the MBSR and MBCT programmes thathave developed from a deep understanding of this foundation-al base. Equally, it is important to be fully aware of theunderlying theoretical and clinical roots of an approach suchas MBCT. Mindfulness within secular settings, such ashealthcare, is still a new field. As it grows, some interestingchallenges arise around holding the essential essence of theseprogrammes whilst also adapting for new populations andcontexts. Supervision forms part of the process of shapingand monitoring future directions. As one of the intervieweesstated, “In the back of my mind is always my role in preserv-ing the integrity of the approach.” (Julia)
Intentions
An important aspect of mindfulness practice is clarity ofintention. This is mirrored in MBS, which aims to be clearregarding its intentions, to reconnect supervisees with theirintentions for engaging in this work and, ultimately, provide aduty of care for the people in the class and the teacher. A rangeof intentions and functions of MBS were identified throughthe interviews.
We have drawn upon the influential ideas from other areasof supervision to categorise these intentions into three mainfunctions. Kadushin (1976) described and defined these func-tions under the headings of Educational, Supportive andManagerial; Proctor (1988), also describes three areas, defin-ing them as Formative, Restorative and Normative; and, basedon these models, Hawkins and Shohet (2006) adapted this totheir area and also defined three areas as Developmental,Resourcing and Qualitative. Using the three main functionsin this way covers the breadth and depth of the intentions thatwere identified throughout all of the interviews. They havebeen combined together to form examples against the threemain functions (Kadushin 1976; Hawkins and Shohet 2006;Proctor 1988) in Table 1. The functions and intentions mayvary in prominence depending on the context that thesupervisee is working within. For example, within an assessedtraining or research trial context, assessment and evaluationplay a greater role, whilst the supportive function may beuppermost if the supervisee is teaching in an unsupportivecontext.
The developmental stage of the supervisee emerged as afeature that strongly shaped the supervision process. One of thekey works describing a developmental approach to supervisioncomes from Stoltenberg and Delworth (1987), whose workholds that the process of supervision evolves as the superviseedevelops their practice. Aswe use theMBI: TAC, we have beenable to see how different levels of experience/training are linkedto different competencies. Subsequently, it follows that differentlevel of training/experience lead to differing needs and charac-teristics within MBS.
Table 2 shows a summary of the way we see stages ofdevelopment aligned to the stages of competence in the MBI:TAC (Crane et al. 2012a, 2012b, 2013) and informed by adevelopmental approach to supervision described byStoltenberg and Delworth (1987).
The Middle Circles—the Content of Supervision
The content and themes brought to supervision fall into fourareas identified in the middle circles: teaching skills, theory/understanding, participants/the group and personal practice/process (see Fig. 1). The developmental phase of thesupervisee plays a strong part in determining what they bringto supervision. This is particularly evident with newer teacherswhere there is a strong emphasis on developing understandingof the elements and intentions of the programme they areteaching. Supervisees often bring to supervision issues thathave emotional charge, a sense of confusion and/or a lack ofconfidence. Because there is potential within supervision todevelop a sense of creativity and playfulness, rather thantension, it is important to allow new perspectives to emerge,as shown in the first example in Table 3. This table outlines themiddle circles giving some examples and illustrations fromthe supervisor interviews.
Material comes into the supervision space in various forms,including verbal reports, written reflections, teaching andinquiry of mindfulness practice. The use of DVD recordingsof teaching practice within MBS seems to be growing.Although it can be challenging and exposing for superviseesto share their practice in this way, it holds many possibilities.“Many teachers lack confidence, so seeing themselves onDVD allows the supervisor to support what went well.Supporting people’s confidence that they didn’t make a dogsdinner out of it.” (Rachael)
Rachael discussed her own experience of showing hersupervisor DVDs: “My first experience was very challengingbecause, you know, she was far more critical of it than Iexpected, and I didn’t know half the things I could have beendoing better. It was extremely useful.”
One of the major advantages of viewing teaching practicewith a DVD is that supervision becomes grounded in theactuality of what is happening in the teaching space.Without it, there is reliance on self-report from the supervisee,which is inevitably clouded by subjective perception. Bodyposture and gestures can come to light, such as the crossing oflegs, fidgeting with papers, eye contact or lack of, grimacesand contractions, that all provide information for fascinatinginquiries.
I can think of somebody I saw recently who had a greatpile of notes with her when she was teaching that shekept looking at. She hadn’t told me she was looking at
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them. It turned out it hadn’t even occurred to her that itwasn’t a good idea. And I was saying you need to let goof your notes. And when she did it made a huge differ-ence. (Emily)
There are limitations to the use of DVDs. Supervision alsoneeds to give space to a deeper connection and inquiry into thesupervisees’ and participants’ process which is not visible on aDVD.
Woods (2010) described two interlinked strands withinmindfulness-based supervision, one of supervision of teachingand another of sustaining and deepening personal mindfulnesspractice. Although some teachers have a separate mentor/teacher to explore practice, many utilise supervision for
personal practice development as well as teaching practicedevelopment. These decisions may be made based on theskills of the supervisor, the needs of the supervisee and per-sonal preference. The important aspect is that both strands areaddressed.
The Inner Circle—the Supervision Space
Holding the Supervision Space
This inner circle reflects the creation of a safe space whereissues are brought, explored, integrated and then taken back toteaching, practice and life. It is a space that is ‘held’ and
Table 1 Examples of intentions of supervision for MBSR/MBCT teachers presented under the three functions of supervision defined by Kadushin(1976), Proctor (1988) and Hawkins and Shohet (2006) (shown in this order in the first column)
Key functions Examples of key intentions within each function as identified from interviews
EducationalFormativeDevelopmentalFocus on learning and development
To stimulate curiosity and understanding of clients, the group, the self (teacher)—keeping alive a sense ofinquiry to the whole process
To develop and enhance skills in core competenciesTo deepen knowledge and understanding of concepts and theory and link with teachingTo feedback on strengths and learning edges, which can then be incorporated into teachingTo promote reflective practice for learning to take place allowing for choice points/different options
SupportiveRestorativeResourcingAcknowledges the emotional andpersonal side of the work
To establish a good working relationship which is safe, supportive and nourishing—a place to unpack theimpact of the work, overcome obstacles to learning, be creative and receive guidance in times of need
To support being human, compassionateTo support the development and deepening of ongoing personal mindfulness practice and its interface withteaching and everyday life
To be in the present moment
ManagerialNormativeQualitativeThe managerial and ethical issues
Assessment and evaluationTo promote an ethical and safe practice to maintain standards and duty of careTo be true to what is being taught—adhering to core curriculums and enabling mindfulness to be beneficialto people
To engender a sense of responsibility for the supervisee and the people they are teachingTo do no harmTo challenge misunderstandings or poor practice
Table 2 Summary of the key characteristics of supervision at different developmental levels based on (Stoltenberg and Delworth 1987) and the MBI:TAC stages of competence (Crane et al. 2012a, 2012b, 2013)
Stage Characteristics of supervisee Characteristics of supervision sessions Supervisor role
Beginner, advanced beginnerand moving into competent
Inconsistencies around confidenceMay have feelings of insecurity oran over confidence
Clearly structuredPractical skills-basedContent- and curriculum-basedDeveloping understandings ofunderlying intentions
GuidancePositive feedbackSupportAssessment
Competent Inconsistencies around confidencemay still be present in certainaspects of teaching
Embedding of new skillsFreedom to learn from mistakesExploration of relational aspects
HoldingAbility to move between a morestructured approach and a morecollegial approach
Proficient/advanced Increased confidenceGreater insight
More reflectiveMore exploratoryChallenging of teaching and practiceBroader themes
More collegialMay be peer-based
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structured through clearly defined roles, timeframes and awritten contract. The contract will involve the supervisor,supervisee and other relevant parties (e.g. the training organi-sation that the supervisor works for). The contract may includepractical issues such as time and length of sessions, payment,recording and storage of notes and the review process. It alsoimportantly clarifies confidentiality, expectations, account-ability, roles and the intentions of the supervision. The pro-cesses which ‘hold’ and create a sense of safety are importantbecause without them, the supervisee would not be enabled tomove towards challenges or to be playful with experience.
The supervisors interviewed described their different pref-erences and styles around developing the agenda and sessionformat. Some ask supervisees to e-mail an agenda in advancewhilst others agree through discussion at the beginning of thesession. There may be a need to negotiate what is on theagenda and prioritise. It is useful if the supervisee engages ina pre-supervision practice where they reflect on the issues inadvance of the session. This short reflective practice may givethe supervisee a felt sense of what is arising uppermost inrelation to their teaching or practice. Although in general,supervisees bring the agenda items, there will be times that asupervisor does. This can occur, for example, when the super-visor wants to continue something from a previous session orto raise concerns about some aspect of practice.
There is generally a session format as well as an agreed,flexible structure to help encourage responsiveness to themoment. The sessions may include, for example, a period ofpractice (strengthening the container of mindfulness either inthe session or beforehand); agenda setting; a review from thelast session; space to inquire and reflect, acknowledging thelearning, identifying what to take forward; and a summary ofthe session. These structures give scaffolding to the process ofsupervision but it is also important to maintain freshness bynot getting stuck with one formula or with one supervisor.Regular reviews of the process at the end of each contractedperiod support freshness of approach. Keeping clear bound-aries is also important, because although there may be anelement of friendship in supervision, this is not its primarypurpose. Finally, confidentiality needs to be very clear assupervisor and supervisee may have several colleagues andacquaintances in common.
What Happens in the Supervision Space
Mutual Inquiry
A key vehicle for learning within MBSR/MBCTclasses is theinquiry process (Crane 2009; McCown et al. 2010), and this isthe same for supervision. “Ideally the whole supervision is a
Table 3 Middle circle examples
Middle circles Examples of what might be brought to supervision Interview example
Teaching skills The curriculum, leading practices, making CDs,timing, conveying teaching, handouts, resources,all the preliminaries before even beginning to runa course, feedback on teaching
The person I can think of was having tremendousdifficulty not getting everything upside downand back to front. So it was to practice theorder, the sequence of the guidance. And to doit in a place that felt quite safe rather than theanxiety of the class. (Sally 2012)
Theory/understanding Theory from MBCT/MBSR, broaderunderstandings of mindfulness or Buddhistunderstandings
They said, “What’s the intention behind doingbody work again in MBCT?” And when youget questions of that order it’s a reminder thatthat is where this person is at and they need areal kind of immersion in the course and whatall its different components are. But with someinquiry of what do you feel when you do themovement practice. (Lucy 2012)
Participants/the group The relational aspects of teaching, the individuals inthe class, the group process, and co-teachers,often aspects of the inquiry
I was supervising somebody on Friday and oneof the participants was taking him off on a veryintellectual stream and the question was howto come back from that, how to not just let itburble on but how to bring the focus back tothe present moment. (Sally 2012)
Personal practice/process Particular issues/struggles in relation to practice,reflections on practice, overwork, busyness,confidence issues
Sometimes I am helping to evolve practice-giving pointers, working with distraction orthe inner critic or, if people haven’t beenmeditating for that long and are much newer tothe whole thing, I have suggested particularapproaches that might be helpful for one’sown practice and also supporting teaching.(Rachael 2012)
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kind ofmutual inquiry into the group and what happened, whyand what went well” (Rachael). This mutual engagement in aprocess of exploring, reflecting and getting curious about allaspects of teaching was emphasised by several interviewees.“I strongly believe that we can’t do this exploration on ourown. The inquiry needs nourishment. It’s a relational explo-ration” (Diane). The relational process supports a steadiness ofpractice and attention as well as a willingness to linger in aspace of uncertainty and ‘not-knowing’ at times.
Inquiry is an interactive and relational way of verbalisingcuriosity about experience. In doing so, there is space for thatcuriosity to develop as we form and hear the words fromourself and others and feel the impact on our body. We areexploring experience through our ‘being’ mode of mind. Asimple example from an interviewee was to bring a breathingspace into the session in the midst of an exploration aboutteaching practice. This was followed by an inquiry along thefollowing lines of: “What is going on with your body now?How are you working with this? How do you work with this inyour teaching?” (Julia). The inquiry thus opens out in layersbeginning with direct experience, then to dialogue and reflec-tion and opening out to linking with teaching and, then, finally,back again to direct experience and so on (Crane 2009). Therecan be a tendency duringMBS to move the inquiry too quicklyto conclusion or to premature summing up. Several inter-viewees pointed towards the importance of lingering in theexploration: “So this real burrowing into something that caughttheir attention, and getting curious about it together …reallydraws me into curiosity. Inviting and questioning, being to-gether in the not knowing” (Charlotte).
It can be easy for supervision to become filled with thecontent of what happened, but the primary intention is to moveaway from narrative and towards investigating and becomingcurious. Even with newer teachers who want to learn theprogramme form, an inquiring approach is still employed usingopen-ended questions such as the following: “Why are wedoing this? What is the intention? What is your feeling aboutit? What is happening in the classroom for you? How are younoticing your interactions with people? Where do you get mostanxious? Where do you settle in to the present moment? Whatsupports you?” (selection of examples from interviewees).
‘Present Moment Focus’
What I like to know is what’s going on inside peoplewhile they are teaching and whether they have a verystrong sense of the practice of mindfulness itself as thebasis for the teaching. Instead of it being form orientat-ed, it is more essence orientated. The essence of payingattention and being really present. (Charlotte)
Although inquiry in supervision is often focused on theexploration of past experience, there is an intention to keep
bringing the exploration back to the immediacy of this momentsince learning and integration so often emerge through thisconnection. Supervisors may incorporate ways to pause, con-nect and sense into direct experience in the midst of dialogue.The supervisor holds this delicate balance and chooses when tomove the process in one direction or the other. As superviseestalk about some aspect of teaching, there is always the possi-bility of exploring the inner landscape of their experience asthey recall and recount situations, moving from the attention onthe story towhat is underneath it. There may also be timeswhensupervisors share the immediacy of their present moment ex-perience as part of this exploration of inner landscapes. Bothparties are actively involved in this inquiry and learning togeth-er. By practising this way of being present in supervision,supervisees learn how to be with another in the present momentduring dialogue. Through this, they can develop awareness oftheir inner landscape and trust in the process of mindfulness.Consequently, the process of developing mindfulness whilst ina relational context becomes more natural and intuitive in themidst of teaching classes as described here: “You [the supervi-sor] are not trying to fix them [the supervisee]. You are nottrying to draw out the narratives of their problem. You are beingwith them to keep helping them to look at what is actuallyhappening in the present moment.” (Charlotte)
For some supervisees this is a difficult process because theautomatic pull back to habitual styles is strong:
I find I might encourage them to what’s underneath, butsomehow it just keeps flipping back. I will bring in apause or a breathing space. I will specifically say, “Justpause now and drop into your experience and notice.” Ihave a supervisee in mind at the moment where I havean image of a rubber band which just keeps pingingback, but that’s the intention to keep redirecting ourattention to underlying process. (Diane)
Integration and Linking
Ryan (2008) described an important quality of ‘looking’withinmindfulness supervision, in terms of howwewake up a creativespace and reconnect with innate qualities that are often alreadythere. The primary process inMBS is not the supervisor sharingthe wisdom and experience that they have (although this some-times happens), but rather the supervisor is enabling thesupervisee to discover and connect to their intrinsic knowing.When inquiry and reflections on mindfulness and teaching aregrounded in the present moment, there is a deeper connectionwith experience and a movement towards fresh seeing, whichin turn may enable new learning to emerge. Within MBS,connecting to a felt sense in the body is an important part ofexploring a new way of understanding a situation.
Table 4 shows an example of an inquiry within a peersupervision that illustrates particularly what was happening
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within the supervision space, moving from direct experiencethrough to a wider context of understanding and, then,returning back to teaching.
Interviewees spoke of supervisees expressing an appreciationof MBS and the way it informed positive changes to teachingpractice. For a supervisee who is less experienced, the link toteaching is often more tangible, whilst for experienced teachers,there are increasing levels of subtlety and nuance. Superviseesoften report how they have experimented with teaching differ-ently following supervision. They describe feeling supported;more confident in their teaching and their own practice; andfeeling less stressed, pressured or burnt-out. Others report howsupervision reawakens a sense of freshness and aliveness to theirpersonal and teaching practice. Supervisors see and hear thesechanges on DVD in the way people sit, the language they useand the clarity of their teaching.
Practising mindfulness and teaching mindfulness is deeplychallenging work because MBI teachers are supporting par-ticipants to turn towards and work with often very difficultmental and physical states. It would not be possible to sustaineither without the support and inspiration that we draw fromothers who are engaged in this way of exploring humanexperience. Supervision is a purposeful and focused way ofoffering and receiving this support and inspiration.
Discussion
This paper presents our conceptual ideas about a frameworkfor MBS describing the structure, content and process of
supervision based on current practice. The exploration pre-sented in this paper was limited in scope to articulating theprocess of MBS as it has emerged within the field during thisperiod of rapid change and expansion. In presenting ourperspectives on MBS, we hope to offer some clarity aboutthe nature, role and purpose of supervision for mindfulness-based teachers as it is perceived by practitioners in the UK andto stimulate dialogue and inquiry on this important issue. At arecent MBS training day at a UK university, the frameworkwas presented and explored with supervisors. The initial feed-back was positive, showing an interest in using the frame-work. One participant on the training day commented, “I thinkyour diagram will be very helpful and look forward to using itwith a series of supervisions I am about to do.”
This was not a formal research project so the lack ofmethodological rigour limits the validity and generalisabilityof the framework. It would be particularly useful if furtherqualitative investigation is conducted around MBS. Particularareas for investigation maybe comparing supervision modelsthat are developing in the context of mindfulness-based teach-ing with models used in other related areas such as cognitivebehavioural therapy. It would also be useful to compare whatis presented here with models that have emerged in othercountries (as this is primarily based on the UK experience).
As the interest in mindfulness-based approaches expands, thefield faces some challenging developmental issues related toresponding to the demand whilst also attending to the integrityof mindfulness-based interventions as envisaged by their devel-opers. Jon Kabat-Zinn (2011) stated, “....MBSR is at its health-iest and best when the responsibility to ensure its integrity,
Table 4 Example from a peer group supervision session
Link with the framework Experience in the supervision
Outer circle Mindfulness container held by the group. There was a short practice to startthe session to orientate to a sense of being. Linking to mindfulness,embodiment and compassion continues throughout the process
Middle circle—the content brought to supervision A participant had missed a couple of sessions and did not seem very engaged.The supervisee noticed they were not very actively following this up
Inner circle (present moment) In the supervision, a noticing of a feeling arises, a contraction in the body aroundthe abdomen, a feeling of harshness and irritation, giving up on the participant,almost feeling it would be easier if they left
Inner circle (mutual inquiry with peers) Contemplating the question as to what might be happening for this participantunderneath what is presented, a sense of their vulnerability
Inner circle (present moment) Supervisee noticing body sensations softening and opening, more space in thebody and mind
Inner circle (seeing from a fresh perspective, making links) Seeing dissatisfaction/suffering for the participant and self. Seeing and feelingthe lack of compassion and the possibility of opening in a different way
Inner circle (integration and action) Making a decision to phone the participant, coming from an open compassionatestance. This decision coming from a bodily felt sense, feeling congruent withthe exploration
Taking the learning out in to teaching (continuing to integrate learning) The supervisee’s ability to soften towards this participant continued and they didcomplete the course
The first author’s own experience
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quality and standards of practice is being carried by eachMBSRinstructor him or herself” (p. 295). In our view, supervision is akey way to nurture the development of individual teachers sothat they can resource themselves to teach with integrity. Thiswill inevitably support the development of the field.
There are some challenges in ensuring that there are enoughsupervisors able to take on this role. The role of themindfulness-based supervisor is a complex and challengingone, requiring significant experience of mindfulness-basedteaching and training in supervision. It is important that super-visors are adequately trained, skilled and supported in this role.
A further challenge is that access to supervision may berestricted by a teacher’s ability to fund it. Significantly, in arecent UK survey of MBCT teachers (Crane and Kuyken2012), a chasm was identified between standards set fortraining and supervision and the reality of 66 % reportingnot having ongoing support in the form of continuing educa-tion or supervision (probably due to time and financial con-straints). This highlights the importance of building the cost ofsupervision into the running of classes and the setting up ofservices wherever possible.
Many teachers come to teach MBSR/MBCTwith a heartfeltintention to engage in a way of life and livelihood that hasmeaning and supports their own well-being as well as that ofothers. Supervisionmay be one aspect of nurturing this intention.
In summary, supervision for MBSR/MBCT teachers is aplace to foster curiosity; engage in dialogue about mindfulnessteaching experiences in the past and present moment; promoteintegrity; experience warmth, compassion and mentorship; besupported, challenged and human; and to make sense andmeaning in a way that benefits others. In short, supervisionis a place for embodied mutual inquiry that cultivates mind-fulness and the benefits it can bring.
Acknowledgments This paper was drafted by the first author as part ofher University of Exeter master’s thesis, supervised by the last author andwith substantive input from all the coauthors. All the authors contributedto and approved the final manuscript. Thank you to the othermindfulness-based supervisors, from international contexts, who gener-ously offered their time and reflections on mindfulness-based supervi-sion—Melissa Blacker and Joke Hellemans.
Conflict of Interest All the authors work within university mindfulnessteaching and/or public health training centres and deliver supervision andtraining for supervisors as part of their work.
Open AccessThis article is distributed under the terms of the CreativeCommons Attribution License which permits any use, distribution, andreproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and thesource are credited.
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