Sea Change - Coaching and Supervision by Sheila Ryan

Review of Vital Practice by Kate Glass Homeopath New Zealand

This book is a unique contribution to the homoeopathic literature. It is essential reading for the practitioner being both challenging and fun.
Sheila Ryan provides a sound and innovative methodology for approaching professional supervision in the homoeopathic context. Her original and engaging text serves to move the reader into a perspective, which emphasises process both within practice, in terms of relationship between practitioner and patient, and within the reader's personal context. The emphasis is not only on the academic but also the art - the creative process we all encounter in practice and how these two sides may be integrated.

Ryan provides us with a dynamic model for confronting our practice issues, whether they be purely clinical, e.g. right remedy, focussed on the economics of practice or involve relational/interactive issues. Ryan creates a broader context for the self reflection most of us do within practice as a matter of course.

While we may have our study groups, case supervision and colleagues to exchange ideas with, this work provides an effective and pragmatic tool to work with, adapting different models and philosophies specifically for homoeopathic practice. It asks particularly how we may be more homoeopathic in our practice and overall life experience.
Often for the homoeopath, supervision comes to mean clinical case management amongst our peers with a periodic intervention from the expert. A central aim in this work is to empower practitioners and patients in a reciprocal healing relationship - there are no healers, only healing relationship. It is important to remember that both bring personal issues to the consulting room and that it is the responsibility of the practitioner to examine these, not only from the academic angle.

Homoeopathic principles of like cures like, minimum and energetic intervention are examined in therapeutic and supervisory relationships through the media of story telling, activities such as art play, music, sculpting, journals, conversation etc. We are encouraged to use any materials and media we may be drawn to in order to explore issues as practitioners.

Activities, exercises and models suitable for individuals, pairs, triads and groups are presented in a manner which enables us to loosen our focus and dependence on a purely academic and analytic approach to case work and practice while still holding true to the fundamental principles we are all grounded in. This may serve to liberate the healing process in relationship.
Ryan never deserts her sound grasp of principles and philosophy while she moves boldly to develop new thinking and philosophy that covers ground many of us find confusing and difficult. Her willingness to get alongside the patient and other practitioners is revealed in her candid reporting of personal experience and also her sometimes disarming text which reflects her own vernacular. This gives a strong impression that she is in direct conversation with the reader and makes for an immediate visceral experience of the material, leading one into personal issues in a most satisfactory way.