Karen Shepherd
Tēnā koe I am a Pākehā women living in semi-rural Manawatū. I am an aunty to 8 fantastic nieces and nephews, ranging in age between 16 and 28, and they are my delight in life as I have watched them grown in to fabulous adults. I spent my teens and early 20's in unpaid youthwork, but in my worklife I have a qualifications and experience as a social worker and in supervision. I have been working as an independent supervisor for over 20 years now. I am a warm and thoughtful person, and also prone to critique and analysis, and looking at the big picture as well as the detail. When not working I love watching science fiction, going to the beach and have been known to play hockey.
My Approach
I encourage supervision to be a collaborative experience between myself and the supervisee, where we both bring our expertise, experience and knowledge. I draw on both supervision and social work frameworks for my approach, always in line with adherence to te tiriri o Waitangi and with inclusion of mātauranga Māori, and hope that our time together will be supervisee led. When working with youthworkers the Mana Taiohi also becomes central. I also take a stance that self-care is essential, and seek to always support and encourage wellness of the supervisee to be able to give passionately in their role.
Qualifications
BSW
Post Grad Dip in Social Service Supervision (with Distintion)
Profesional Association
Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers
Social Work Registration Board