Shira was a patient, caring and curious supervisor, always meeting her supervisees where they were at. She made me feel cared about as a full human, not just as a staff member. She offered a non-judgmental space where I could be honest about the challenges I was facing in the work. She helped me identify my growing edges and supported me in my professional growth. I have had the privilege of attending many workshops facilitated by Shira. She is skilled at creating a safe, supportive space for her group that is well planned, while remaining flexible to adjust the course of the workshop based on what emerges in the group. Whether in an individual or group setting, one of Shira’s assets is her ability to remain present with whatever feelings come up, holding space for the people she works with.

I was fortunate to have Shira as a supervisor in my early 20’s, right before starting social work graduate school. I was nervous to start out in this field, but from the beginning Shira made me feel comfortable and supported. She was encouraging and also gave feedback that would help me move forward in my career and consider my strengths and options. I thoroughly enjoyed working with her and learning from her, and now as a professional social worker am so glad to continue to have her in my network. Shira was thoughtful, kind and informative, and also had a lens towards social justice. I am so grateful to have worked with her so early in my career to start me on the right foot (although it set the bar high for future supervisors!). 

Because of supervision with Shira, I have grown so much as a person. When I first began working under her and we had professional development, I would often be impatient sitting through meetings, especially supervision. The first two years I definitely pushed back. Over time, I began to understand and see the benefits of this form of professional development . It changed how I approached my work, my personal life and really opened up a world in me that I didn’t know existed. I am now a program director and get to do the same thing in my role. It brings me great joy watching how it allows space for my staff to grow and experience the same level of realization in my work. Thank you Shira! 

The first time Shira and I sat down for supervision, I could feel her full investment in my professional, as well as my own personal, growth. Her questions made me think and provided me with a brand new perspective. I always felt like I was working on real things and as we like to say in social work education, “I was in the mess”, even if at times I didn’t feel that I wanted to be. This is the beauty of having Shira as a supervisor, she gives you her full self, which allows you to trust her with your full self. This was how I was able to have some of the most significant supervision sessions in my career and take risks I wouldn’t have dared to.

In my time under Shira’s guidance she facilitated purposeful supervision sessions during which she helped me notice and change unhelpful patterns of behavior, as well as draw out my strengths as they pertained to my use of self with groups and individuals. She used questioning, discussion, and experiential staff trainings preparing me to work with youth mindfully, purposefully, and in a way that fosters group, individual, and youth autonomy. Her professional development style helped get to the core of understanding my assumptions, biases and triggers, and it helped to redefine my relationship to authority. What I found to be most helpful is Shira’s use of questioning and her own observations, which guided me in identifying areas for growth in how I use my authority, present my ideas, and interact with youth and colleagues.