As Mentors or Professional Supervisors, we dedicate ourselves to helping others; we are natural caretakers and genuinely want to support and aid our clients. It can be hard to admit when we find ourselves out of our depth, but it’s nothing to be ashamed of; there are some issues we don’t have the proper experience or skills to address. There are times when we need to refer our client to someone with more specialised knowledge. We should remember that our client’s well-being is a group effort; we are part of a team our client can turn to in times of need. This is a wonderful thing as it takes some of the pressure from us, and allows our client to receive the most effective care…

Every time we meet a new person, shake hands and share names, what’s the first question we are asked? More often than not, it’s “What do you do for a living?” Maybe, what we really want to ask is, “Who are you? What are your values?” but these questions are so broad, and yet so personal, that we begin with

Every experienced mentor, coach and supervisor has had to handle clients who have been dealing with abuse. It is a painful moment to recognise that the client in our care is being mistreated, whether it is something seemingly small, like a condescending and controlling boss at work, to something dangerous and severe, such as a violent partner. It is in these moments that we have to ask ourselves, what is our responsibility…

Today, we are diving into a serious and challenging subject—addressing some potentially triggering material: What should you do in the face of abuse? If this subject matter is close to home and uncomfortable to read, feel free to skip this blog and join us next week. I also encourage anyone who is feeling triggered to reach out to loved ones and professionals for support…

It’s a feeling that everyone can relate to: too many tasks to complete and too little time. There are a few things that feel more overwhelming than looking at a full calendar or a lengthy to-do list while the clock ticks away. Feeling overwhelmed can lead to stress, anxiety and sometimes even depression. If your tasks are consuming all of your focus, time and energy, burnout is a likely result…

One of the significant challenges that my mentoring/supervision clients wrestle with is work/life balance and managing the priorities of life. On one hand, we all want to provide for our families and to be great employees. The challenge is that we want to be both a hard worker and dedicate time and energy to those we love most in life. We often face conflict with how to spend our time in a way that feels meaningful, productive and true to who we are…

Over the last several months, we have looked at the competencies required for a mentor, supervisor or coach to lift the vitality of the leaders around them. Now it’s time to wrap up this series and recap what we have covered…

We have spent months looking at the competencies that are essential for an effective leader, almost completing our series last week with a blog on self-awareness. Growing these competencies (specifically self-awareness) leads to the growth of another important, overarching necessity in leaders: emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the ability to see, understand and manage emotions in yourself and others, and to have the humility and wisdom to rely on others when you are struggling to do so…

If you have been following Verve Lead for even just a few weeks, you will know that I am a strong advocate for the work of mentors, coaches, and professional supervisors. Personally, having a mentor has brought me closer to God and my calling, and I believe that developing a relationship with a mentor is crucial for all ministry leaders. Given its positive impact, let us encourage everyone to participate in the process. There is, however, a hard truth: mentoring costs…