Clinical Supervisors' Perceptions of Counselor Characteristics Associated with Effective and Well-Balanced Practices

Abstract

Counselors are expected to have certain personal attributes and professional skills to be effective in their work. Personal wellness is viewed as a significant contributor to counselor effectiveness and is included in the expectations of instructors, advisors, supervisors, and employers. The purpose of the present study was to identify characteristics of effective and well-balanced counselors by directly engaging those who have provided clinical supervision to this population. Twenty-seven counseling supervisors (encompassing rehabilitation, school, addictions, and mental health specialty areas) brainstormed 71 elements in response to the following question: What are the characteristics of a counselor in your field who is effective and well-balanced? These were condensed to 37 elements, and supervisors then categorized them into four categories: Counseling Skills, Solution Focused, Personal Characteristics, and Taking Care of Self. The academic research team independently sorted these clusters into four categories: Counseling Skills, Organization and Management Skills, Personal Characteristics, and Well-being. Comparisons of the products created by the two groups revealed a difference in perceptions in the arena of Personal Characteristics. The academic team was more likely to use the Personal Characteristics category than the field supervisors. Implications for counselor education and supervision regarding the conceptualization of skills vs. traits are discussed.