The Career Benefits of Mentoring & Supervision for Holistic Healthcare Practitioners

A conversation with acupuncturist and trained mentor Lisa Milnes

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The latest addition to our ‘In Conversation’ series is here! It’s one of my favourite things to do; interviewing complementary healthcare practitioners about their career paths, specialities and their wide range of work experiences to dive deeper into people’s career trajectories and share your stories for and wide. For previous editions I spoke with homeopath Caroline Gaskin about content creation, acupuncturist Steve Kippax on client retention, and osteopath Kerry Dowson shared her experience integrative osteopathy with breathwork, plus acupuncturist Sean Cleere showed us his international trajectory that brought him to running a busy multi-bed clinic in London today. I hope these conversations leave you feeling inspired, support you in your own career or simply give you new insight into what’s happening across this space!

Today we’re meeting Lisa Milnes, a London-based acupuncturist and an advocate for a wider adoption of mentoring and supervision in holistic healthcare. Lisa graduated from the School of Five Element Acupuncture, London in 2005 and since then she has practised in clinics across London and the Middle East. Lisa is also qualified in mentoring-supervision, following training with Isobel Cosgrove, which provides peer support for other acupuncturists and health professionals. Let’s dive in to hear more about the impact mentoring has had on her career, and how it might support you too!

Lisa, thank you so much for sharing your experiences with mentoring. Even though mentoring isn't mandatory in your field, you mentioned you wish it was as it has had a profound impact on your work. In what ways would you say it has helped you? Were there any unexpected results or surprises along the way?

I came to it late and wondered how I had managed without it for so many years!  Mentoring has been key in helping me build confidence in myself as a practitioner. It is my time to unburden, and say the unsayable, in a safe space and in complete confidence. What surprised me was mentoring also greatly helped me in my personal life by giving me the tools to help tackle difficult situations.  

I also realised that when I attended my own acupuncture sessions I would spend a lot of the time discussing issues in my practice, which took time away from discussing issues in my personal life. 

Having someone listen and support me without judgement helped me to open up and navigate dilemmas, ensuring that I was adhering to the highest standards of patient care. This has given me a renewed enthusiasm in my work. It has allowed me better communication with my patients and helped me build a practice that works for me, leading to greater fulfilment in my life. 

What is your current set up in terms of mentoring, how do you manage it on a practical level? And what was your journey like to get there?

I currently provide individual 1:1 online Zoom sessions for acupuncturists and complementary therapists, lasting around 30 to 45mins, arranged according to need and availability of the practitioner. On average the majority of practitioners tend to have around 5 or 6 sessions per year. I fit these sessions in during my work days & evenings in clinic.

Having been in clinical practice for nearly two decades I decided to train in mentoring-supervision as I felt it was the next stage in my career. It was an extremely enriching course, one which I wish I had undertaken sooner. 

Comparing your mentoring of perhaps a fellow acupuncturist or another holistic healthcare practitioner, what would you say the main benefits are of each perspective or approach?

Anyone who has trained in mentoring will use roughly the same framework regardless of which area of medicine or therapy they work in.  If you are working with patients in any type of holistic or medical setting we all encounter the same particular challenges when working with people who are in need or facing problems, plus there are the everyday pressures of building a practice.

When practitioners work alone it is easy to become isolated, whilst those working in a group clinic may face challenges of a different type as they manage relationships with colleagues and other staff members.

As we become busier and more experienced, taking on too much work is common and can lead to burnout or compassion fatigue. Other issues that frequently arise include those around roles and boundaries, ethics, time management, money, and lack of confidence.  

I know many practitioners who are curious about mentoring and supervision, at various stages in their career. What would your advice be to anyone looking to include this into their practice, are there specific resources you'd recommend or things to look out for?

All practitioners can benefit greatly from mentoring, and I would recommend everyone tries it, whether they have been in practice for a short period of time or they have been practising for many years. I know many colleagues who have sadly stopped practising because, in my opinion, they didn’t have adequate support.

If you are looking for a trained mentor most professional bodies should have a list on their website. I am a registered with the British Acupuncture Council and Association of Acupuncture Clinicians, plus a member of the Mentoring Supverision group.

And finally, what's in store for you and your practice this upcoming year, anything you'd like to share with our community?

I will be training in Compassionate Inquiry with Gabor Maté, whilst continuing with my practice and various acupuncture CPD courses, and finally lots more mentoring-supervision!