As ACT therapists, we ask our clients to do something brave: to sit with discomfort, move towards what matters, and open up to uncertainty. But in the often isolating and demanding role of therapist, we rarely afford ourselves the same invitation. Group supervision offers a space where we get to be held in the process; to reflect, grow, and connect with our values alongside trusted peers.
Whether you’re newly trained in acceptance and commitment therapy or have years of experience, group supervision can be one of the most powerful tools for deepening both your clinical skill and your psychological flexibility. Here’s why:
1. A living laboratory for psychological flexibility
We may be preaching to the converted here, but ACT isn’t just a technique…it’s a way of being. Group supervision offers an experiential setting where we as therapists can practice the core processes of ACT in real time:
- Present-moment awareness: noticing what’s unfolding in the room, in your body, and in your emotional landscape.
- Acceptance: allowing discomfort, uncertainty, or feelings of inadequacy to show up without immediately trying to “fix” them.
- Defusion: naming your own sticky thoughts, whether that’s “I’m not good enough,” or “I should know how to help this client”, and gently loosening their grip.
- Values: clarifying what matters most in your role as a therapist, and what kind of colleague or supervisee you want to be.
When a supervisee shares a tricky case or a moment of professional doubt, the group becomes a rehearsal space for responding flexibly, not reactively. Rather than focusing only on “what should I do?”, we create space to ask, how do I want to show up even in the presence of not knowing?
2. A powerful antidote to professional isolation
Therapists, especially those in private practice or rural locations, often work alone. This isolation can slowly chip away at our confidence and vitality. Group supervision offers connection. It can remind us that:
- Other therapists also feel overwhelmed, unsure, or stuck sometimes.
- Clinical doubt is not a sign of incompetence but a reflection of care and integrity.
- We are part of something larger: a community of people trying to do meaningful, compassionate work.
The emotional safety of a well-held supervision group allows for shared vulnerability, mutual support, and even humour in the face of hard work.
3. Collective wisdom enhances clinical insight
ACT is a process-based model, and this means there are often multiple equally valid ways to respond in therapy. In group supervision, you hear a range of thoughtful, creative, and grounded responses to the same case formulation or stuck point.
This diversity of perspectives can help you:
- Break out of rigid thinking or self-imposed “rules” about what you “should” do.
- Discover new metaphors, exercises, or ways of tracking the ACT processes.
- Strengthen your case conceptualisation by considering multiple angles, interpersonal dynamics, trauma histories, social context, and more.
- Rather than being told what to do, you are invited to think with others, an empowering and collaborative learning process.
4. Deepened (and shared) connection to your own values
Supervision shouldn’t only be about the client’s values, it should also help you reconnect with your own. In group discussions, therapists often reflect on:
- What drew them to this work
- The kind of therapist (and human) they want to be
- What nourishes or depletes them in their role
This reflection is particularly vital for ACT practitioners, as values-based action underpins the entire model. When supervision helps you re-anchor to what matters, you’re more able to bring that vitality into your clinical work.
5. A gentle mirror for process issues
One of the most subtle yet valuable aspects of group supervision is that it often reflects your own process as a therapist. For example:
- You notice you tend to stay quiet in groups, just as you hesitate to name things in therapy.
- You feel defensive when your idea is questioned, mirroring how you respond to client resistance.
- You struggle with imposter syndrome, just like the clients who say “I don’t belong here”.
These moments offer an invitation, not a judgment. Supervision becomes a microcosm where the very patterns you help clients work with become visible in yourself. And with compassion, they can be gently explored.
6. Embodied and experiential learning over didactic teaching
While 1:1 supervision can sometimes lean toward teaching or case correction, group supervision often unfolds more organically. Through experiential exercises, reflective dialogue, and real-time feedback, you don’t just learn ACT, you inhabit it.
Sessions may include:
- Group defusion or mindfulness practice.
- Role-playing tricky moments with a client.
- Exploring your own responses through the Hexaflex.
- Noticing what’s showing up in the room (e.g., silence, tension, humour) and using it as data.
This embodied learning sticks with you longer than theory alone. It shapes how you relate and not just how you intervene.
7. It sustains us for the long haul
ACT therapists are often working with pain, whether that’s trauma, grief, chronic health, existential dread. It’s meaningful work, but it’s also emotionally demanding. Group supervision can help mitigate burnout by providing:
- Containment: a space to process the emotional impact of your work
- Normalisation: others feel it too; you’re not broken
- Inspiration: reconnecting with moments of client courage or therapeutic connection
As ACT therapists, we believe in the power of process, presence, and purpose. Group supervision brings all of these into the room, not only for the benefit of our clients, but for our own wellbeing and professional growth.
Whether you’re looking to strengthen your ACT skills, feel more connected, or re-anchor to your values in practice, group supervision offers a space to do exactly that.