The Supervisor Forum Organising Committee is thrilled to announce their annual National Supervisor Forum.
This year promises to be a lively and engaging event, right beside the beautiful Atlantic Ocean in the Galway Bay Hotel. Please find more details on this exciting day of CPD, reflection and professional connection below:
Schedule of the Day:
| 9.30am - 10.00am | Registration |
Complimentary Tea and Coffee upon arrival
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| 10.00am - 12.30pm | Creativity as Part of Your Supervisor Practice with Gina Dermody |
This workshop invites supervisors to explore how creativity can deepen reflection, insight, and connection in supervision. Through experiential activities and guided discussion, participants will consider how creative approaches can support supervisees’ professional growth, emotional processing, and clinical thinking—across different settings and modalities. |
| 12.30pm - 1.30pm | Lunch and Networking |
Lunch is on-site and included in the price of the National Supervisor Forum booking fee.
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| 1.30pm - 3.00pm |
"I Had To Go For Counselling" - Gerry Farrell's sell-out one-man show *Latecomers will be denied entry |
An immersive theatre experience "combining a comic script and performance with real and useful wisdom for coping with the challenges of life".
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| 3.00pm - 3.30pm | Small Group Reflection and Discussion |
Supervisors will discuss the performance and play the role of "the Counsellor's" Supervisor.
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| 3.30pm - 3.40pm | Short Comfort Break | |
| 3.45pm - 4.30pm | Panel Discussion with Gina Dermody, Gerry Farrell and Jean Strong | The conclusion of the day; the panelists will draw on their experiences and learning to date regarding the topic of Creativity in Supervision and engage in rich discussion; with handouts made available to attendees |
Workshop with Gina Dermody - Creativity as Part of Your Supervisor Practice
"Today, we come together to deepen our understanding of ourselves as supervisors and the many roles we hold within our work. This session invites us to reflect on our existing relationship with creativity—acknowledging it, valuing it, and exploring how it can be meaningfully woven into our supervisory practice.
We will consider the many ways creativity shows up in our lives and how these creative parts of ourselves can support and enrich our work: in our relationship with ourselves as supervisors, in our engagement with supervisees, and ultimately in the work they carry into their relationships with clients"
Learning Objectives
By the end of the session, participants will:
- Understand their existing relationship creativity and how it can be weaved into the supervisory relationship
- Experience a range of simple, adaptable creative supervision techniques
- Reflect on how creativity supports safety, containment, and ethical practice
- Understand the barriers to working creatively in supervision and how to overcome fear and not good enough in this domain
"I Had To Go For Counselling" - One Man Play, written and performed by Gerry Farrell
A one-man show with comedy and existential wisdom in equal measure.
Colin O'Rourke discovers that retirement is not what he thought it would be. Disillusioned and depressed, he reluctantly accepts the advice of his GP and goes for counselling. What unfolds is at times hilarious and at times a challenging reflection on his life. Working through his many regrets and few achievements, he recalls events filled with drama and humour, as well as sadness and regret. He is tasked by the counsellor to find meaning in his life by putting together seven pieces of wisdom to leave for future generations. An evening of entertainment and wisdom in equal measure.
After this piece of thought-provoking theatre concludes, attendees will engage in small group discussion where they will "play the role" of the therapist's Supervisor.
Panel Discussion with Jean Strong, Gina Dermody and Gerry Farrell
Panelists:
Jean Strong
Jean Strong is the founding Director of the Dublin Art Therapy College (DATC). She is a Counsellor, Psychotherapist, MIACP-accredited Supervisor, Art Therapist, and researcher. Central to these practices is the integration of creativity and resilience with cognitive and embodied ways of knowing. DATC was established to provide specialist education in Integrative Counselling and Creative Art Psychotherapy and has since evolved to offer an MSc in Creative Art Psychotherapy (Working with Young People). Jean’s vision for the college reflects a deep commitment to rigorous, ethical, solution focused responses within the personal and professional training. She brings a breadth of experience across mental health practices, including managerial, educational, and clinical supervisory roles. As Programme and Clinical Director, she works collaboratively with a highly experienced academic and clinical team and is honoured to contribute at the leading edge of Art Psychotherapy and Expressive Arts practices. Jean is currently a PhD candidate at the European Graduate School, with her research based in Ireland at DATC. Her doctoral work explores the role of Expressive Arts approaches in supervision training and is grounded in phenomenological and philosophical perspectives. Central to her research are the values of presence and process, self-regulation, ethical and creative responsiveness including the principle of low skill–high sensitivity as a foundation for both creative clinical and supervisory practice.
Interests:
Embodied & Phenomenological Ways of Knowing
Self-Regulation, Resilience & Ethics in Creative Practice
Gina Dermody
Gina Dermody is an Adolescent and Family Therapist & Clinical Supervisor based in Tuam Co Galway. Gina runs the Adolescent and Beyond Psychotherapy clinic which offers support to Adolescent, Parents and young Adults. This clinic offers both in person and online therapy and is staffed by three other therapists, each with their own specialism in Adolescent, Adult and Couples therapy. Gina is also the founder of the Adolescent and Beyond Conference.
Gina has worked in the field of psychotherapy since 2011, and her prior experience includes working as a Team leader in Social Work and as a Bereavement coordinator. Gina started her career in 1998. Gina has worked in the NHS in London and in the HSE in Dublin and Galway. Gina also trained as a yoga teacher with adults, children and pregnancy. She has further training in family therapy, child and adult bereavement, EMDR advanced Child and Adolescent supervision. Gina is the parent of two adolescents.
Gerry Farrell
As a playwright, Gerry has earned critical and audience success with three plays: The First Protestant, The Last Prime Minister of Ireland and the highly successful The Sceptical Suffragette. All three plays toured venues throughout Ireland. His adaptation of James Joyce’s Ulysses had two tours of the USA, as well as performances in theatres across Ireland.
Apart from his 53 years working in theatre, Gerry has had a twin career working in Mental Health over the last 48 years. He taught counselling students at Trinity College Dublin, as well as students on the Addictions Studies course at NUI Maynooth, and Social Studies at ATU Sligo and is an Accredited Supervisor Member of IACP.
I had to go for counselling is a fusion of his experience of working with people with mental health issues and his accumulated theatrical skills. It is meant to be both entertaining and uplifting.