Stronger Relationships. Stronger Systems.
Reflective Supervision & Practice
The Heart of Our Work
Reflective supervision is more than a model of supervision — it’s a way of being in relationship. It creates space for professionals to pause, reflect, and grow in the midst of challenging work. In reflective supervision, we explore experiences, feelings, and perspectives together, strengthening awareness, resilience, and connection.
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We believe that when professionals are supported through reflection, they are better able to support the children, families, and communities they serve.
Shared Language
Reflective Supervision: a definition
Reflective supervision is a supportive relationship where both the needs of the professional and the people they serve are valued — creating the best conditions for meaningful, effective work.
Reflective Practice: a definition
Reflective practice is about pausing to look inward and outward — noticing your own experiences while also staying attuned to others. It’s a collaborative, relationship-based approach that helps staff support the people they serve and meet program goals. Over time, it builds the capacity to weave reflection into everyday interactions, until it becomes a natural way of working for both individuals and organizations.
The National Center for Reflective Supervision & Practice
Our Approach
In each of our programs, these definitions guide our learning. We focus on:
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Building reflective capacity in individuals and teams.
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Supporting providers and supervisors so they can support others.
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Embedding reflective supervision into organizational structures and systems.
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Strengthening program outcomes and workforce sustainability through reflection.
Developmental
Perspective
Everyone is always growing. A developmental lens reminds us that children, families, staff, and organizations are all in constant growth and change. Development is shaped by relationships, culture, history, community, and access to resources.
Trauma-Informed
Approach
Our life experiences matter. Hard experiences — like loss, violence, displacement, or disaster — affect individuals, families, providers, and organizations. A trauma-informed perspective builds awareness of these impacts and creates space for healing and resilience.
Systems + Ecological
Perspective
We are all connected. Reflective practice considers the wider context — the pressures, supports, and systems that influence daily work. Systems thinking helps supervisors and leaders see how decisions ripple across people, programs, and communities.​
Human-Centered
Approach
We are all linked by our shared humanity. A human-centered perspective values both our similarities and differences, fostering awareness of diversity, accessibility, and inclusion in relationships and organizational practices.
Why it Matters
Reflective practice not only helps individuals feel grounded and resilient — it also strengthens organizations and systems. When reflection becomes part of everyday work, staff are more effective, programs function more smoothly, and outcomes improve for families and communities.
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That’s why our trainings weave reflection into the “whole job” and the “whole system.” Our goal is to help providers, leaders, and organizations integrate reflective supervision in ways that sustain both people and programs.