Session 3I
Tracks
Track 9
| Friday, October 30, 2026 |
| 2:00 PM - 3:35 PM |
| Meeting room A2, Arbour Level |
Overview
Meeting room A2
Speaker
Ms Melinda Phillips
Compassionate Schools
A chance to pause: Reflective supervision for school leaders
2:00 PM - 2:45 PMAbstract
Aim: Reflective supervision is a timely, relevant, and effective addition to the range of professional support available to Australian school leaders. This workshop unpacks what reflective supervision is and how it benefits both school leaders and the communities they support.
Background/Context: Drawing on the research evidence documenting psychosocial hazards facing leaders in schools (Dicke et al., 2026), and the author’s practice in providing supervision support to principals, assistant principals and wellbeing leaders across three Australian states, this workshop will combine theory and practice for participants to learn about, and apply, reflective practice strategies.
Relevance: The emotional demands of working in schools are well recognised in trauma-aware and trauma-informed settings. Professional supervision is a recommended strategy for leaders to enable them to share, reflect on and process their experiences with students, staff and families in a safe and confidential environment.
Contribution: Reflective supervision is an emerging, evidence-based resource for Australian school leaders, and this workshop will share insights from 2026 supervision with individual leaders and principal networks to add a practice perspective to the national discussion.
Description: The author, a teacher and organisational psychologist (board approved supervisor), will unpack common models and approaches currently being implemented with schools in Australia and the UK.
Engagement: The workshop will include the opportunity for an individual/pair structured reflection, short group debrief of the activity and Q & A; providing participants with the chance to experience an element of the process, and reflect on how they may incorporate supervision in their setting.
Background/Context: Drawing on the research evidence documenting psychosocial hazards facing leaders in schools (Dicke et al., 2026), and the author’s practice in providing supervision support to principals, assistant principals and wellbeing leaders across three Australian states, this workshop will combine theory and practice for participants to learn about, and apply, reflective practice strategies.
Relevance: The emotional demands of working in schools are well recognised in trauma-aware and trauma-informed settings. Professional supervision is a recommended strategy for leaders to enable them to share, reflect on and process their experiences with students, staff and families in a safe and confidential environment.
Contribution: Reflective supervision is an emerging, evidence-based resource for Australian school leaders, and this workshop will share insights from 2026 supervision with individual leaders and principal networks to add a practice perspective to the national discussion.
Description: The author, a teacher and organisational psychologist (board approved supervisor), will unpack common models and approaches currently being implemented with schools in Australia and the UK.
Engagement: The workshop will include the opportunity for an individual/pair structured reflection, short group debrief of the activity and Q & A; providing participants with the chance to experience an element of the process, and reflect on how they may incorporate supervision in their setting.
Biography
Melinda is an organisational psychologist, researcher and teacher with over twenty years’ experience supporting schools and school leaders through supervision, coaching and psychology support.
Melinda has taught K-12 and has held roles including Senior Consultant with headspace schools/Be You; Consultant: School Innovation with Independent Schools NSW; Teaching Educator with Catholic Education, Diocese of Parramatta; and Lead – Program Content and Evaluation and General Manager with Good Grief/ MacKillop Seasons. Melinda has also practiced as a school counsellor with Catholic Schools Broken Bay.
Melinda is undertaking a PhD exploring the psychosocial workplace conditions that enhance or buffer school-life’s subsequent impacts on staff wellbeing, and how schools/ the sector can individually and collectively strengthen the design and enhance the workplace experience for school leaders.
Melinda’s earlier research focused on workplace wellbeing, specifically burnout, compassion fatigue and secondary traumatic stress following critical incidents, and the protective factors that lead to resilience and wellbeing.
Ms Margaret Thorsborne
Director
Margaret Thorsborne and Associates
Understanding the relationship between shame, trauma and behaviour policies and practices in schools and workplaces
2:50 PM - 3:35 PMAbstract
Trauma often triggers shame. It initially impacts our sense of self as flawed, and can linger, sometimes over a lifetime, to shape our behaviours and relationships with others. When we can conceptualise shame as a neurobiological social alarm, it will help us recognise our shame-defence behaviours, in ourselves and others, including children. Knowing what to do with these strong responses in self and others from a relational neurobiological perspective can guide our thinking about our behaviour policies and protocols.
Schools systems built on a carrots and sticks approach to discipline can do more harm to individuals and relationships as many of their strategies trigger unnecessary shame. This impacts of learning, erodes wellbeing, and risks disengagement along with more shame defence behaviours. A relational, restorative approach to issues of responsibility and accountability is more likely to minimise these negative outcomes, allowing shame to be metabolised in a healthy way and healing to be possible.
This workshop will explore the nature of shame, its power in our lives and relationships and how to view our disciplinary policies and protocols through shame-sensitive lens.
Schools systems built on a carrots and sticks approach to discipline can do more harm to individuals and relationships as many of their strategies trigger unnecessary shame. This impacts of learning, erodes wellbeing, and risks disengagement along with more shame defence behaviours. A relational, restorative approach to issues of responsibility and accountability is more likely to minimise these negative outcomes, allowing shame to be metabolised in a healthy way and healing to be possible.
This workshop will explore the nature of shame, its power in our lives and relationships and how to view our disciplinary policies and protocols through shame-sensitive lens.
Biography
Margaret Thorsborne OAM, a pioneer of restorative practice in schools, is an international consultant, award-winning author, conference presenter and keynote, trainer and practitioner, working across public, private and international schools and workplaces. Her latest book, Becoming a Trauma Informed Restorative Educator, co-authored with Joe Brummer, has won a Pegasus Award for "a book that makes the world a better place"
