As a Compassionate Inquiry practitioner, working with clients is such a deeply individual journey. It’s all about having faith that the right clients find us, trusting in their process, and having faith within ourselves. Working mainly one-to-one with my clients, I’ve found my experience co-facilitating a monthly CI supervision focus group to be an amazing complement. It’s something Dr. Gabor Maté speaks about during the year-long programme: the incredible power of a well-guided group. He calls it an “intentional family,” and that sums up my experience of the Peer Supervision Focus group.
I see everyone showing up, each of us bringing our unique ways of seeing things, our questions, and all those rich insights from working with our clients. It’s a space to discuss our questions and challenges in the practice of CI.
Gabor also mentioned that groups can sometimes stir up old family dynamics. This means that for us in peer supervision, it’s actually an opportunity to heal. As I listen to a peer share, I might suddenly feel a familiar sensation or emotion echo from my own past. And for me, that is where the healing happens. Being in the safety of this group, which is held by everyone there, invites me (and all of us) to simply be present to what’s happening inside us, without judgment.
As Gabor puts it, “Every painful and difficult emotion you felt in your family of origin, you are going to experience in the group. If it is well conducted, that same setting can be the place where those wounds can be healed, or at least tended to.”
I always leave the groups feeling uplifted, and that’s exactly what Gabor has said about group dynamics: they “actually lift everybody up.” I truly feel our shared curiosity, our collective commitment to genuine compassionate inquiry, and the safety we all co-create really sparks new insights for every one of us. It makes it easier for me to be vulnerable, to share my challenges openly, and to truly hear different perspectives. Other participants also comment how much it helps to hear different voices sharing similar struggles or offering fresh angles. This collective energy helps us dive into whatever comes up in our client sessions, turning challenges into deeper learnings. Our supervision group has become much more than just a professional exchange; for me, it’s a place to be vulnerable and heal.
The Peer Supervision Focus Group is only open to Professional Training Participants and Alumni. If you qualify as either and are interested in joining, please check the Focus Group announcements in the CI monthly newsletter.
