Supervisees' perceptions of their development: A test of the counselor complexity model.

Examined the perceptions of 91 trainees in counseling and clinical psychology regarding their development of counseling and supervision behaviors. Ss were from 8 geographically diverse training programs and were categorized into 3 levels on the basis of a composite of their degree of experience in graduate school, counseling, and received supervision. Ss' responses to an instrument designed to assess constructs relevant to the 2nd author's (see record 1981-06282-001) counselor complexity model were examined across these experience levels. Results indicate that higher-level Ss reported greater self-awareness, autonomy, acquisition of counseling skills and understanding of theory than did Ss at a lower experience level. Implications for developmental models of supervision are discussed. (14 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Counseling supervision by developmental level.

Examined the validity of an elaboration of C. Stoltenberg's (see record 1981-06282-001) developmental counseling supervision model with 71 supervisors (mean age 37.5 yrs) and 107 supervisees (mean age 30.2 yrs) from 9 university counseling centers, resulting in 107 supervision dyads. A supervision level scale (SLS) was used to classify predominant developmental level of supervisees and supervision environments to avoid the use of training level as a proxy for developmental level. Supervisors completed the SLS, and supervisors and supervisees reported their satisfaction and opinion of supervisee's learning. Supervisors were found to generally match the level of their supervision to the level of the supervisee. Analyses of variance (ANOVAs) revealed that supervisee developmental level was related to mean semesters of supervisee supervised, but not nonsupervised, counseling experience. Supervision environment level was also related to mean semesters of supervisee supervised, but not nonsupervised, counseling experience. Mean satisfaction and learning ratings of supervisors and supervisees did not differ by person–environment congruency. Results provide support for conceptualizing supervisees and supervision environments developmentally, although not for congruency. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

For the love of working on play: Comment on Tinsley and Eldredge (1995).

H. E. A. Tinsley and B. D. Eldredge (see record 1995-27399-001), using sound instrumentation and large samples, developed a need-based taxonomy of leisure activities that enlarges counseling psychology's understanding of both the leisure experience and psychological needs. This study and other studies of psychological needs can benefit from the comparability afforded by a consensus set of higher order need dimensions. This study points up 2 important developments in counseling psychology (and the rest of psychology as well): the use of latent variables to construe "mind" and the use of the questionnaire to instrument introspection. By their sustained study of the leisure experience, Tinsley and his colleagues have helped to add the knowledge of "play" (E. S. Bordin, 1994) to the counseling psychologist's more extensive knowledge of work. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Career Counseling Self-Efficiency Scale: Instrument development and training applications.

This article reports on 4 studies that addressed the development of the Career Counseling Self-Efficacy Scale (CCSES). The instrument evidenced moderate to high internal consistency across the studies and strong test-retest reliability over a 2-week period. Convergent validity was supported by correlations with years of career counseling experience and several scales of an emotional-social counseling self-efficacy measure. Discriminant validity was evidenced through an absence of relations between the CCSES total score and years of emotional-social counseling experience, emotional social counseling self-efficacy, and research self-efficacy. In addition to the evidence just mentioned, construct validity was supported by increases on the CCSES after a career course and varying levels of efficacy commensurate with status in the field. The use of this instrument for training and evaluating therapists who provide career counseling is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Role of supervision in assuring quality mental health services in university counseling centers.

Conducted a survey to explore the relation between the role of supervision and practitioners' experience, training, and certification and to determine how these factors affect quality assurance in university counseling centers. Ss were 185 counselors. Findings indicate that time spent in supervision was not significantly related to the dependent variables of educational level, experience, or licensure, and that unlicensed practitioners were less likely to seek supervision. The lack of supervision and licensed practitioners may be inconsistent with the value placed on supervision as a quality control procedure. (13 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The management of sexual feelings in therapy.

This research project examined the incidence, experience, salient features, and management of sexual attraction between psychologists and clients and assessed 386 American Psychological Association member psychologists who work in university counseling centers. Only 12% reported never having been attracted to any client, and 96% never had acted out sexually against a client. Almost half reported that their feelings of attraction benefited the therapy process, and 43% reported negative consequences. 60% sought consultation or supervision to discuss this attraction. The results of this study support the need for increased awareness and education in this area. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of supervisory style on counselor effectiveness and facilitative responding.

Examined the effects of high and low didactic or experiential supervision groups and a no-supervision group on counselor effectiveness and facilitative responding. 30 undergraduates were assigned as counselors on a random stratified basis by sex and supervisor to the 5 groups for 3 counseling interviews, the 1st 2 followed by supervision. Three actresses portrayed clients, and supervisors had a minimum of 1 yr's experience. The dependent variables, counselor effectiveness as measured by the Counseling Evaluation Inventory and facilitative responding as measured by the Barrett-Lennard Relationship Inventory, were subjected to a series of 1-way ANOVAs. Duncan's new multiple-range test was used for comparisons of means. Results indicate that inexperienced counseling students can be taught specific basic counseling skills in a brief supervisory encounter of a didactic or combined didactic–experiential nature coupled with some form of actual practice. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of supervisor experience level on planning and in-session supervisor verbal behavior.

Examined the effects of supervisor experience level on presession planning and in-session supervisor verbal behavior. 30 supervisors representing no, low (1? to 3 yrs), and high (4 to 25 yrs) levels of experience (mean ages 27.3, 28.7, and 35.8 yrs, respectively) listened to a 30-min audiotaped counseling interaction and then recorded thoughts and strategies for supervision in a 30-min planning session. Ss then conducted a 30-min supervision session with the counselor. Analyses of audiotapes from the planning and supervision sessions revealed no significant differences between the 3 levels of supervisory experience in planning statements. However, significant differences were observed in the actual supervision session, with low- and high-experience Ss being similar to each other and different from the no-experience group on several dependent measures. Results also indicate that the counselor rated the low- and high-experience Ss more positively than the no-experience Ss. No relation was observed between statements generated during the planning session and those occurring during supervision. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Clinical supervision: An intensive case study.

Used a rigorous case study methodology to examine one supervisory dyad's work together during one semester. The supervisee was a 33-yr-old female doctoral student with about 7 yrs counseling experience; the supervisor was a 41-yr-old male counseling psychologist with 12 yrs supervision experience. The "best–worst" strategy of several recent researchers, multiple sources of qualitative and quantitative process data, and the perspectives both of the Ss and of observers were used. Findings provide hypotheses to guide future research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A study of Hogan's model of counselor development and supervision.

The construct validity and developmental structure of R. A. Hogan's (see record 1966-00843-001) model of counselor development and supervision were studied using a sample of 141 counseling psychology graduate student trainees, interns, and professional staff in 20 university counseling centers. Counselor development questionnaire items were developed into 2 arrangements: one based on Hogan's concepts as he organized them into levels, and another derived empirically using factor analysis. The 2 configurations were compared for their ability to predict experience level of Ss using discriminant function analysis. Each empirical factor was also examined for relationship with experience by means of 1-way ANOVA with preplanned comparisons. Results indicate that counselor development is best described by a complex rather than a simple model and that it involves factors of Anxiety/Doubt, Independence, Method/Skills Training, Work Validation, Commitment Ambivalence, and Respectful Confrontation. Developmental profiles of these issues are described, and implications for supervision and training programs are discussed. (22 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A multidimensional scaling analysis of supervisory dimensions and their perceived relevance across trainee experience levels.

The Level of Supervision Scale (LSS; R. D. Miars et al, 1983) was administered to 69 supervisors with experience supervising 1st-semester practicum and intern-level trainees. The structure of their responses to 28 LSS items assessing perceptions of supervision as they varied across these 2 trainee experience levels was examined using 3-way multidimensional scaling. A 4-dimensional solution was yielded, which accounted for 63% of the variance. The 4-dimensions are (1) enhancing dynamic understanding, (2) didactic instruction, (3) counseling vs supportive supervisory functions, and (4) authoritative vs collaborative style. The study demonstrated clear differences in the salience of the dimensions across supervisors' perceptions of the 2 trainee experience groups. Supervisors perceived the enhancing dynamic understanding dimension as most important in their supervision of interns, whereas didactic instruction was most salient in perceptions of supervising beginning trainees. No differences were found across experience level for the other 2 dimensions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Guiding assumptions, data, and minor pestilence: Reply to Tracey (1992) and Tinsley (1992).

In response to concerns raised by T. J. Tracey and H. E. Tinsley (see PA, Vol 79:17955 annd 17954, respectively), several issues are discussed. Research in a new area should incorporate a variety of methods and philosophies including those that are more empirical or discovery-oriented in focus rather than being driven solely by borrowed theory. Failure to acknowledge the differences between personal and career counseling has hampered expectations research in career counseling. No empirical basis currently exists for selecting the best assessment format for instruments measuring expectations in counseling. Both preference and anticipations rather than a single, global expectations construct need to be assessed in career counseling, and a reliable and valid assessment instrument is currently not available for that purpose. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Survey of college counseling centers' follow-up practices with former clients.

We investigated the follow-up methods used by counseling centers to evaluate the individual counseling services that they provide. A sample of 80 centers was selected for study; these were centers that indicated that the primary form of evaluation was a locally developed instrument used to assess clients' post counseling status and satisfaction with their counseling. We used a questionnaire to assess data-gathering procedures, follow-up practices, rates of return, and uses made of the data as well as resulting problems and trends. Major issues addressed include the low percentage of return rates of satisfaction questionnaires and the effect of these rates on possible response bias. The use of center survey results to evaluate client status and counselors' work is discussed. The issue of the timing of satisfaction surveys of clients is raised, particularly in light of procedures that combine clients who have previously terminated counseling and clients still in the process of counseling. The issues of self-report and the need for more rigorous methodologies are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Training graduate students to be clinical supervisors: A survey of Canadian professional psychology programmes.

Recognising the need for training in clinical supervision, the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) requires that accredited professional psychology programmes offer graduate students training in supervision. To fill a gap in the existing supervision literature, we surveyed training directors (or designates) of CPA accredited clinical and counselling programmes to understand how this training standard is currently being met in the area of clinical supervision. Responses were obtained from 20 of 28 programmes (71.4% response rate). Approximately 50% of respondents indicated that their programmes required some coursework related to clinical supervision, with wide variability, however, in the number of hours of coursework provided to students (range 3 to 39). Most courses included lectures and group discussion, but also often provided students with practical experience in clinical supervision provision. Only 25% of programmes required a practicum in which students gained experience in clinically supervising other students, although an additional 40% of programmes offered an elective practicum in which students gained some training in clinical supervision. Most programmes (~71%) identified strategies for improving training in clinical supervision (e.g., improving course work, requiring practical experience), but also identified challenges to offering clinical supervision training (e.g., availability of skilled supervisors, insufficient time to devote to supervision, student competency). Based on the findings, we offer some recommendations for how training in clinical supervision could be improved in Canadian professional psychology programmes as well as describe some important directions for future research in this area. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Doctoral students' comparative evaluations of best and worst psychotherapy supervision.

68 male and 74 female advanced clinical and counseling psychology graduate students from 37 programs completed questionnaires comparing their best and worst supervisory experiences in terms of context, personal attributes of the supervisor, and specific interactional aspects. Results indicate that quality of supervision was not related to self-reported intellectual or emotional resources of trainees; training site; population serviced; or the gender, experience, sociability, or primary career activity of the supervisor. The best discriminators of quality were perceived expertise and trustworthiness of the supervisor, duration of training, and an emphasis on personal growth issues over the teaching of technical skills. Highly regarded supervisors were psychodynamic as opposed to behavioral, established supportive relationships, and communicated expectations and feedback clearly. Sexist behavior and authoritarian treatment were particularly detrimental to quality of supervision. These differences were not mediated by prior experience, gender, or theoretical orientation of the respondents. (28 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Bicycle helmet counseling by pediatricians: a random national survey

A random sample of 1201 pediatricians who are members of the American Academy of Pediatrics completed questionnaires regarding bicycle injury prevention counseling. Of the 871 pediatricians in the sample who provide health supervision, 80% reported that they discuss bicycle helmet use with their patients at least once before the patient reaches the age of 12 years. Provision of bicycle helmet counseling did not vary significantly by pediatricians' age, gender, or practice location. The most important predictor of provision of bicycle helmet counseling was professional experience with injured children, including having had a patient who experienced a serious injury or death due to a bicycle accident in the last year.     

Training and supervision practices in clinical, counseling, and school psychology programs.

This study surveyed the training directors of counseling, clinical, and school psychology programs accredited by the American Psychological Association on training and supervisory practices and perceptions of various modalities of supervision. Response rates were 74%, 56%, and 45%, respectively. Clinical and counseling psychology training directors reported that videotape review was the most used modality of supervision; school psychology training directors reported that self-report only was the most frequently used. The amount of time involved in conducting live supervision and cotherapy as supervision was seen as a moderate barrier to their use. Cotherapy as supervision was rated as having the most strengths by all program directors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Client denial and resistance in the advance directive context: Reflections on how attorneys can identify and deal with a psycholegal soft spot.

An important reason why advance directive instruments are underused is that people faced with the need to think about the end of life, future mental health problems, or the need for nursing home admission experience psychological stress that produces denial and procrastination. This essay examines how lawyers who are counseling clients about advance directive instruments can deal with such client denial and resistance. It explains the psychological defense mechanism of denial and related forms of resistance and offers suggestions about techniques that lawyers can use for dealing with denial and resistance in counseling clients about advance directives. It suggests ways in which lawyers can develop their interpersonal skills, becoming more empathic and more sensitive to their clients' psychological needs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relevance of the supervisory alliance to the counseling alliance and to treatment adherence in counselor training.

The quality of the supervisory working alliance should be related to the quality of the counseling working alliance and to trainee adherence to a treatment model. After each of 4 supervision sessions, 75 trainees completed the Supervisory Working Alliance Inventory, and, after each counseling session, their clients completed the Working Alliance Inventory. Judges rated portions of the videotaped counseling sessions with an adherence measure. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to analyze these nested data (repeated measures of trainees nested within supervisors). As hypothesized, the trainee's perception of the supervisory alliance was significantly related to the client's perception of the counseling alliance and to aspects of treatment adherence. The significance of these findings is discussed in relation to the supervision literature. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)