How Do You Hold the Heat? A Supervision Reflection Tool for Therapists
- Komal Kaira
- Jul 15
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 18
Once you’ve figured out the kind of supervision that works for you and once safety is somewhat settled; the next question to ask is:
Am I growing in this space, or just showing up?
That’s where a lot of supervision hits a pause. Because growth is rarely ever linear and most supervision models don’t really know what to do with that.
Instead, they tend to box you in:
“Are you applying the right technique?”
“Are you showing up for the client?”
“Are you clinically sound?”
And don’t get me wrong — these questions matter but unfortunately they miss the most important one:
How are you letting the work impact you?And what are you doing with that impact?
You may ask why this is even relevant in a space that prioritises clients and holds them and their wellbeing central. It might help to think of it this way.
If you’re cooking something in a clean pan - you can throw in your oil, your ingredients, your spices and it cooks evenly. Ever so smoothly. Now imagine not cleaning that pan after.
You keep cooking the next meal in it.
And the next
And the next!
In essence, the pan is still working. But so are all the crumbs, the burn marks. and the leftover flavours of meals you never sat with. Eventually, the food starts sticking to the pan pretty terribly .It gets bitter at the edges. The pan begins to char.
And yet, we still call that “functioning.” Because the meal got made
Therapists are somewhat like that pan. We hold people’s healing. We bring the heat, the container, the holding. And over time, we carry the residue of everything we don’t stop to process.
It’s not about being clean or objective or blank-slate neutral. It’s about knowing:
What kind of heat works best for you?
What kinds of residue tends to stay?
What do you need to clean between sessions?
Who or what helps you reset your flame?
A Tool I Use With My Supervisees
I call this the “What Kind of Pan Are You?” reflection. It’s simple, not clinical and neither diagnostic. It is as human as the clinician who reflects to know more about themselves and their clients. Your growth isn’t just in applying frameworks or learning clinical terminologies. It’s in learning what kind of container you are and how to tend to it.
If you want to learn more, you can download my free worksheet from the link below.
The worksheet helps you check in with how you hold the work and how the work is holding you. You can use it at the start of supervision, when you're feeling stuck, or just to understand your own rhythm better. It’s about knowing what you need to keep showing up as someone who holds others with care without burning out your own edges.
Supervisees aren’t pans to be scrubbed clean. They’re human systems learning to hold fire wisely.
If you’re looking for a space that honors your rhythm, reflection, and growth, explore supervision at thrivewithkomal.
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