28 September 2022

We recently read Coaching Supervision Groups, edited by Jo Birch, in the EMCC UK Book Club. Beth Clare McManus writes below with her thoughts and responses to the book.

Coaching Supervision Groups aims to explore both the theory of group coaching supervision and the experience of a wide range of experienced coaching supervisors. I found the book to be accessible and engaging, and it would be suitable for supervisors looking to enhance or begin their group coaching experience. I also found it valuable as a coach who has been to group supervision spaces, as it helped me reflect on how I feel and show up there.

Jo Birch has a beautiful grasp of language, outlining the subject matter for this book in her introduction with the deft hand of expertise. The book assumes some knowledge of coaching and supervision spaces, while acknowledging that the reader may be at a different stage in their understanding of and practice in group supervision.

The flow of the book is logical and easy to follow. Equally, Jo extends an invitation in the foreword to dip into chapters of interest, ‘noticing what we are drawn to’. Her chapter on creativity was my first stop as an artist and having conducted my own research into creative coaching supervision.

Models and research are intertwined with anecdotal experience and author reflections in such a way that the content feels intimate and inviting. The diverse range of voices collected here makes the content vibrant, offering ample opportunity for practitioner reflection on the multitude of avenues and approaches available. The book is well referenced and contains a range of tools for adoption or adaptation.

The authors have generously provided their experience and thinking alongside the challenges and doubts they have encountered during their own practice, which is both refreshing and incredibly useful for one’s own reflections on the insights shared. Overall, the book is accessible, engaging and provides several different views and approaches, allowing for flexibility in practitioner style and ample opportunities for experimentation for those who wish to take this valuable, collected learning into their own practice.

I am confident I will be dipping into this book repeatedly for its wisdom, ideas, generosity, and its quiet reassurance that while it takes courage to dip into this space, it is worthwhile.

Coaching Supervision Groups – click for all our Book Club resources for this book