Supervisory Relationships in the Counseling

Supervisory Relationships in the Counseling Profession:

Working models in counseling theory can be as varied as the number of authors who write on the subject. Like all fields of psychology, counseling in still relatively new and those involved in the field are still testing and applying the theorems put forth by earlier writers in an attempt to determine a best-fit practice for helping people master the world around them. Regardless of the theory chosen the professional must make sure that that which is purported as a usable theoretical paradigm is congruent with one's own personal values, personality, and professional skills. The remainder of this paper will focus, not on any one particular counseling theory, rather on the role of supervision in counseling practice. Following a brief discussion on counseling supervision will be a presentation of a proposed scientific research investigation with respect to using doctoral students in the role of supervisors in practicum situations where master's level students are learning the rigors of counseling applications.

Counseling Supervision. Before examining supervisory relationships within the counseling profession it is important first to garner an understanding of the term counseling itself. In lay terms counseling can be described as a face-to-face relationship, having goals to help clients to acquire and learn new skills enabling them to cope and adjust to life's many conditions and situations. The pivotal focus is to help the person attain maximum fulfillment or potential, and to become fully functioning individual. As such, counseling provides self-expression and a positive and constructive position for the individual to reasonably examine his or her instinctive-emotional and rational/irrational) motives. In turn this processes is used to determine the drive, content, and human conduct amassed by the client. The five most readily accepted major theoretical bases for counseling in psychology are biological, learning, cognitive, psychodynamic, and socio-cultural. Each one of these perspectives searches for answers about behavior through different techniques and researching a clients childhood or adult life experiences looking for answers to different kinds of questions. Due to the different types and styles of counseling approaches, each counselor forms their own thoughts and explanations. To enhance the counseling process, and for the client to attain maximum benefit those studying to become certified and licensed counselors are subjected to the rigors of planned and cogent supervisory programming.

The primary goal of any counseling training program is to assist practicum students develop a dedication to the highest possible standards within the counseling profession wherein recognizing the diversity of the profession must be faced in today's demanding world Kaderavek, Laux, & Mills, (2004). In order to effectively train counselors the supervisory relationship is centered on individual supervision, group supervision, and training seminars. The individual supervisory relationship is, according to Herbert, Ward and Hemlick (1995) the pivotal point of professional growth and development during a student's practicum experience. At this level supervisors serve as the student's mentor and role model wherein the student learn to process clinical experiences, exchange professional ideas, review complex technical aspects of clinical work, and to provide constructive feedback and support. Oftentimes the medium used in the student-supervisor individual relationship live supervision situations, videotapes, audiotapes and computer assisted feedback (Smith, Mead & Kinsella 1998), especially visa via email through the Internet (Graf & Stebnicki, 2002).

In addition to individual supervision the counseling student receives group supervision as well. As such group supervision includes case consultations wherein students are provided an opportunity to gain feedback and share information will other trainees and professional staff with respect to on-going program development (Werstlein, 1994). In fact, in today's world of mega technology researchers investigating the role of group supervision in counseling have even turned to computer-based tactics for group supervision training purposes (Janoff & Schoenholtz-Read 1999). As a side bar note it is interesting to point out that in a sutdy conducted by Hillerban (1992) there exists a need to even look at the cognitive differences between supervisor and trainee when conducting group supervision training programs.

The third component in counseling supervision is that of the training seminar. According to a study conducted by Shanklin (2002) the effectiveness in training seminars lies in diadactic presentations that provide students with ongoing training and professional development. These presentations are generally made on a variety of counseling issues ranging from sexual dysfunctions, medical management programs, trauma, ethics, abuse reporting, eating disorders courtroom testimony and various neurological and psychometric issues. The primary objectives of the training seminar are as follows:

To assist the trainee in developing a content knowledge base of counseling theory, research and practice from a multicultural point-of-view.

To assist the trainee in defining their professional identity and knowlegde and adherence to ehtical practice.

For the trainee to receive monitoring of their strengths and weaknesses as a counselor.

To acquire new skills in counseling.

To be able to identify personal issues involved with being a counselor.

To learn to develop and write case studies in a professional manner.

To be able to have a comfortable and supportive environment wherein sharing information, reactions and concerns can take place.

Knowing that individual, group, and seminar situations are important in providing a student optimal training it is also important to be able to recommend new situations wherein counselor training can be brought about. To this end, an area that has been overlooked in the past is using doctoral students to perform supervisory duties with respect to lower academic (masters) level counselor trainess. In order to shed light on this particular issue the following research investigative plan is being proposed:

Research Questions

How often should faculty meet with doctoral students who are engaged in master's level supervision?

How are doctoral to students to be monitored when supervising master's level students? What are the most effective monitoring strategies?

What are the most prevalent and required doctoral courses and experiences required before they can be effective supervisors?

Does there exist a difference in using doctoral students to perform supervisory duties between accredited and non-accredited CACREP academic programs?

Participants

50 accredited CACREP doctoral programs and 50 non-accredited CACREP programs liaison for each of the 100 accredited programs wherein each liaison will respond to a questionnaire.

Instrument