title: Narrative approaches in counselling supervision

authors: Crocket, Kathie

abstract: This thesis is an account of a project that investigated the possibilities for counselling supervision offered by the philosophical positions that produce narrative approaches to counselling. Thus, the research was positioned as a social constructionist project. It drew on the work of five local counsellors who met together regularly over a year to engage in reflecting team supervision and to reflect on the practices thus produced. The project recognised, too, that local professional cultures have produced supervision in particular ways. 
Out of this project I have come to tell some supervision stories differently. Most recent mainstream approaches to counselling supervision construct supervision as a generic activity, and an activity that is best produced independently of particular metaphors of counselling practice. I argue that such approaches appear to be constrained by their inattention to the epistemology of practice. Aspects of dominant supervision discourse place an overriding emphasis on supervisor responsibility, producing an apparent dependence upon instrumental practice. When the emphasis is on supervisor responsibility, counsellors tend to be produced at the margins of the very activity that the profession constructs as critical to their effective and ethical counselling work with clients. 
In contrast, the focus of this analysis is on the possibilities for a supervision where responsibility is relationally exercised and dialogically produced, whether in dyadic supervision or in a professional community of concern such as offered by the reflecting team used in this study. The analysis demonstrates a shift to an understanding of supervision as having a moral and ethical focus: from asking the instrumental question, what to do with Client X? counsellors and supervisors ask what are the effects for practice of thinking this way? What are the effects for clients of practising these ways? With this shift, the discourses of counselling practice and the positions for counsellors within those discourses are available for rigorous investigation, with an emphasis on the politics of practice. I argue for a politics of supervision practice that responds to the location of supervision itself as a site of professional governance, and takes responsibility for the kinds of professional self the practices of supervision are called to produce. Professional truth claims, both those that construct supervision and those that construct counselling, are shown to be open for examination and negotiation in a constructionist supervision practice. In the dialogical examination and negotiation of professional truth claims in supervision, a storying counsellor professes the moral and ethical authority by which they produce their work. 
At the same time as it is a serious practice of ethical responsibility, supervision also depends, I propose, upon counsellors and supervisors taking up the imaginary. When we ask what counts as professional truth, when we ask how things might be otherwise than they are, we take supervision dialogue into other dimensions. When we take seriously our responsibilities to profess, to story our own professional identities in action, we generate also, I argue, possibilities for storying the pleasures of our counselling work. To take supervision talk into the domain of the imaginary and of pleasure, is to produce supervision otherwise.

text: Narrative approaches in counselling supervision This thesis is an account of a project that investigated the possibilities for counselling supervision offered by the philosophical positions that produce narrative approaches to counselling. Thus, the research was positioned as a social constructionist project. It drew on the work of five local counsellors who met together regularly over a year to engage in reflecting team supervision and to reflect on the practices thus produced. The project recognised, too, that local professional cultures have produced supervision in particular ways. 
Out of this project I have come to tell some supervision stories differently. Most recent mainstream approaches to counselling supervision construct supervision as a generic activity, and an activity that is best produced independently of particular metaphors of counselling practice. I argue that such approaches appear to be constrained by their inattention to the epistemology of practice. Aspects of dominant supervision discourse place an overriding emphasis on supervisor responsibility, producing an apparent dependence upon instrumental practice. When the emphasis is on supervisor responsibility, counsellors tend to be produced at the margins of the very activity that the profession constructs as critical to their effective and ethical counselling work with clients. 
In contrast, the focus of this analysis is on the possibilities for a supervision where responsibility is relationally exercised and dialogically produced, whether in dyadic supervision or in a professional community of concern such as offered by the reflecting team used in this study. The analysis demonstrates a shift to an understanding of supervision as having a moral and ethical focus: from asking the instrumental question, what to do with Client X? counsellors and supervisors ask what are the effects for practice of thinking this way? What are the effects for clients of practising these ways? With this shift, the discourses of counselling practice and the positions for counsellors within those discourses are available for rigorous investigation, with an emphasis on the politics of practice. I argue for a politics of supervision practice that responds to the location of supervision itself as a site of professional governance, and takes responsibility for the kinds of professional self the practices of supervision are called to produce. Professional truth claims, both those that construct supervision and those that construct counselling, are shown to be open for examination and negotiation in a constructionist supervision practice. In the dialogical examination and negotiation of professional truth claims in supervision, a storying counsellor professes the moral and ethical authority by which they produce their work. 
At the same time as it is a serious practice of ethical responsibility, supervision also depends, I propose, upon counsellors and supervisors taking up the imaginary. When we ask what counts as professional truth, when we ask how things might be otherwise than they are, we take supervision dialogue into other dimensions. When we take seriously our responsibilities to profess, to story our own professional identities in action, we generate also, I argue, possibilities for storying the pleasures of our counselling work. To take supervision talk into the domain of the imaginary and of pleasure, is to produce supervision otherwise.

year: 2001

title: Triumphant tides: The rise of Pacific midwifery research in Aotearoa New Zealand

authors: Jackson, Talei

abstract: As we present the 61st issue of the College Journal, which is in its 36th year, we are excited to be actively showcasing greater diversity in the research shared. This commitment enables us to amplify minority voices and introduce vital new perspectives. Ultimately, this serves to strengthen the entire profession, helping us evolve and provide increasingly culturally safe care to the whānau and communities we serve.
One of these key communities is Pacific peoples, and in this issue of the Journal, we are pleased to share research on Pasifika perspectives of mentoring in Aotearoa (Otukolo et al., 2025).

text: Triumphant tides: The rise of Pacific midwifery research in Aotearoa New Zealand As we present the 61st issue of the College Journal, which is in its 36th year, we are excited to be actively showcasing greater diversity in the research shared. This commitment enables us to amplify minority voices and introduce vital new perspectives. Ultimately, this serves to strengthen the entire profession, helping us evolve and provide increasingly culturally safe care to the whānau and communities we serve.
One of these key communities is Pacific peoples, and in this issue of the Journal, we are pleased to share research on Pasifika perspectives of mentoring in Aotearoa (Otukolo et al., 2025).

year: 2025

title: Raising Māori Student Achievement - Journeys of Success

authors: Kaumoana, Cadence

abstract: Educational success for Māori students is influenced by confidence in one’s identity, positive role models and support; and positive attitudes to learning and success.
This project asked Māori tertiary graduates about their educational experiences. Half of the participants in this study had successfully completed secondary school and the other half did not complete secondary school education. This selection of participants was selected to highlight that although some students don’t complete secondary school it is still possible to successfully pursue and complete tertiary level qualifications. The feedback given from the participants highlighted the positive factors that influenced their successful completion. From these factors recommendations have been developed to support Māori student success. The objective of this study is to encourage the development of increased self-confidence for Māori rangatahi and to promote the continuation of lifelong learning.
When Māori students are supported both at school and in the home they are more likely to achieve educational success, particularly at secondary school level. Similarly, at tertiary level study; students who graduate with a completed degree qualification are likely to have had positive support and successful role models, they are likely to be secure within their own identity and wh!nau network. Māori students that successfully complete tertiary study are more likely to have positive attitudes to learning and to achieving; knowing how to access support and feeling confident in their efforts.
The key to this study is the link between successful completion of secondary school and the follow-on to successful tertiary study. When Māori students are supported appropriately in the development of their identity their confidence soon follows. This support would ideally come from wh!nau in the home and the school. When Māori students are confident in their learning journeys through high levels of confidence in identity they are more likely to persevere under pressure and despite setbacks.
Influencing factors to developing self-confidence for Māori students include awareness of Te Reo Māori and Tikanga Māori, responsibility at home, responsibility at school and the positive influence of role models. The study then concludes by providing recommendations for learners, educators and wh!nau to support the educational achievement of their tamariki.

text: Raising Māori Student Achievement - Journeys of Success Educational success for Māori students is influenced by confidence in one’s identity, positive role models and support; and positive attitudes to learning and success.
This project asked Māori tertiary graduates about their educational experiences. Half of the participants in this study had successfully completed secondary school and the other half did not complete secondary school education. This selection of participants was selected to highlight that although some students don’t complete secondary school it is still possible to successfully pursue and complete tertiary level qualifications. The feedback given from the participants highlighted the positive factors that influenced their successful completion. From these factors recommendations have been developed to support Māori student success. The objective of this study is to encourage the development of increased self-confidence for Māori rangatahi and to promote the continuation of lifelong learning.
When Māori students are supported both at school and in the home they are more likely to achieve educational success, particularly at secondary school level. Similarly, at tertiary level study; students who graduate with a completed degree qualification are likely to have had positive support and successful role models, they are likely to be secure within their own identity and wh!nau network. Māori students that successfully complete tertiary study are more likely to have positive attitudes to learning and to achieving; knowing how to access support and feeling confident in their efforts.
The key to this study is the link between successful completion of secondary school and the follow-on to successful tertiary study. When Māori students are supported appropriately in the development of their identity their confidence soon follows. This support would ideally come from wh!nau in the home and the school. When Māori students are confident in their learning journeys through high levels of confidence in identity they are more likely to persevere under pressure and despite setbacks.
Influencing factors to developing self-confidence for Māori students include awareness of Te Reo Māori and Tikanga Māori, responsibility at home, responsibility at school and the positive influence of role models. The study then concludes by providing recommendations for learners, educators and wh!nau to support the educational achievement of their tamariki.

year: 2013