Group processes in peer group supervision

Peer group supervision is a valuable tool for professional development in helping professions. In her 2024 doctoral thesis, Hege Helliesen Hadland examined how group processes unfold in peer supervision, exploring both the challenges and potential benefits involved.

Hadland defines peer group supervision as a non-hierarchical, dialogical exchange among therapists, aimed at reflecting on professional uncertainties and fostering mutual learning. Group interactions play a central role here: they function both as a learning platform and as a social and emotional system.

Her research focused on four groups from Norwegian family welfare services who regularly engage in peer group supervision. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, participant observation, conversation analysis, and group discussions, she analysed eleven peer supervision processes. The groups varied in composition, age, and professional experience.

Key findings from Hadland (2024):

• Impact of communication: Open, supportive discussions encourage reflection, whereas insecurity or lack of trust can hinder the effectiveness of supervision.
• Ambivalence between closeness and distance: Therapists who share personal difficulties often oscillate between openness and withdrawal.
• Structure of supervision processes: Although many sessions lacked a structured method, Hadland identified four recurring activities: (1) understanding the client, (2) exploring the therapist’s perspective, (3) offering practical recommendations, and (4) expressing appreciation.
• Cultural influences: The Norwegian emphasis on equality can result in limited space for difference and dissenting opinions within peer supervision, potentially constraining reflection and learning.

Hadland emphasises that peer group supervision is not only a space for reflection but also one of cultural and emotional complexity. Its success depends on an open, reflective, and supportive atmosphere. She advocates for stronger institutional anchoring and clearer structures to fully realise the potential of this practice for professional growth.

Hadland, H. H. (2024). Exploring group processes in peer supervisory practice when systemic practitioners display vulnerability. Dissertation, University of Essex & Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust. https://repository.essex.ac.uk/39871/

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