Clinical supervision as an emancipatory process: avoiding inappropriate intent

As clinical supervision becomes more widely implemented in the United Kingd om with concerns and resistances being eroded as practitioners discover its benefits, it is important that potential limitations and perhaps failures are avoided. This paper utilizes Johns' (1996) intent-emphasis axis to expl ore how a technical interest, misunderstanding of expert practice, and conf usion of self awareness with counselling, can detract from the supervisory process. Several of the criticisms of reflective practice will be examined to demonstrate where concerns are valid and where they may be based on misu nderstandings and the need to control clinical supervision. Greater awarene ss of inappropriate emphasis and intent should enable even relatively inexp erienced supervisors to help their supervisees move towards independence, e mancipation and evolving expertise.