What Is Cultural Supervision?
Understand cultural supervision, its role in reflective professional practice and how culture, identity and worldview can be explored within supervision.
Explore →Culture within professional practice
Cultural Supervision
Cultural supervision provides a dedicated environment for examining how culture, identity, relationships, values and professional responsibilities interact within practice.
Culture is part of practice
Professional situations do not occur outside culture. Cultural supervision creates space to consider the cultural context surrounding people, relationships, organisations and professional decisions.
Space for cultural reflection
Sessions can explore assumptions, cultural responsibilities, communication, relationships, values and the way cultural understanding influences professional practice.
Supporting culturally considered decisions
Cultural supervision can support practitioners and organisations to think more carefully about how decisions, systems and professional approaches are experienced within different cultural contexts.
Te Ao Māori within cultural supervision
Where it is relevant to the practitioner and the work, cultural supervision can make space for Māori perspectives including whakapapa, whanaungatanga, identity, collective relationships, place and cultural responsibility. The purpose is not to apply one Māori model to every person, but to recognise that professional practice can be understood differently when culture and relationships are treated as part of the context rather than as an add-on.
Common questions
Questions about cultural supervision
Who might benefit from cultural supervision?
Cultural supervision may suit practitioners and professionals who want dedicated space to examine culture, identity, worldview, relationships and cultural context within their practice. For Māori practitioners or work involving Māori communities, this may also include whakapapa, whanaungatanga, place and other aspects of Te Ao Māori where relevant.
What can be explored in cultural supervision?
Sessions can explore cultural responsibilities, values, assumptions, communication, relationships, identity and how cultural context influences professional decisions and practice.
Can cultural supervision sit alongside professional supervision?
Yes. Depending on the practitioner, role and organisation, cultural supervision can operate alongside a separate professional supervision relationship.
Explore related supervision
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Professional vs Cultural Supervision
Compare professional supervision and cultural supervision, understand their different purposes and see how the two can complement one another.
Explore →How to Choose a Professional Supervisor
Learn what to consider when choosing a professional supervisor, including experience, cultural fit, independence, expectations and supervision approach.
Explore →Supervision enquiries