Dr Cath McKinney appointed Professional Supervision Program Coordinator

Congratulations to Dr Cathryn (Cath) McKinney who has been appointed the Professional Supervision Program Coordinator at the University of Divinity. Cath has extensive experience as a group relations consultant where she specialises in helping people to flourish as they take up their roles. 

If we work well together in service of a purpose, we can be transformed as we take up our roles efficiently and creatively.

I’m really inspired by what can happen when we work creatively together by asking the questions ‘what resources and talents are in the room?’, ‘what are the assumptions we need to challenge? How can we creatively enquire and engage together’?  

Earlier this year, Cath graduated with her Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Divinity (through Pilgrim Theological College). Her thesis, entitled  Leading Saturday Lives is centred around the experience of disappointment as central to an authentic understanding of a Christian theology – from Mary as bereaved mother to the presence of the absence of God in the disappointment of Holy Saturday. Her research was stirred by her work as a prison chaplain and as a minister in an inner-city community church for many years.   

My work as a group relations consultant looking at group dynamics is really motivated by a desire to see and hear someone in the here and now – asking the questions: ‘what does it mean to be you in the world and how may I accompany you?’

A supervisor and supervisee creatively and compassionately collaborate in a process of interrupting a person’s practice in order to engage with what is actually going on in the context their role. My hope is that this Professional Supervision program will be a transformative process for the students, and richly rewarding for all who participate.

Profession supervision is growing as a profession and developing as a field of expertise in the university, and all of the connected sectors. I encourage anyone who is interested in considering taking up a role as a professional supervisor to have a look at the UD website and contact us. We look forward to your enquiry!”