Becoming a Counselling Supervisor in Canada: Key Elements from the Perspective of Supervisors

Abstract

Becoming a counsellor supervisor is a professional choice that has been explored from an objective standpoint resulting in multidimensional understandings of the requirements and components of the role. Nevertheless, the experience of supervisors as they undertake this profession within a profession remains nebulous. Twelve Canadian supervisors were interviewed to garner an emic view of their experiences in the role. Using Braun and Clarke’s (2012) thematic analysis, a conceptual scheme that included six themes, each with subthemes, emerged that reflected the supervisors’ experiences of becoming supervisors: (a) qualifications for becoming a supervisor, (b) motivation/decision to become a supervisor, (c) ongoing development and growth subsequent to becoming a supervisor, (d) feelings about being a supervisor/phenomenological aspects, (e) supervisors’ perspectives on the key aspects involved in being a supervisor, and (f) wishlist: needs going forward. Implications for supervisor training and preparation for the role are discussed.