Insecurely-attached Supervisees’ Perspectives of Attachment in Supervision

Abstract

Professional counselors are called upon by the American Counseling Association (2018) This narrative research study examines the experiences of counselors in training and how they engage with their supervisors through an attachment lens throughout their first practicum course. Three participants were identified as having an insecure attachment style. Each participant shared their experiences in supervision through semi-structured interviews and a photo elicitation journal writing project. Seven narrative categories emerged from the data which detailed how participants’ personal history and attachment style influenced their relationship with their supervisor. Implications for supervision include utilizing the emergent narrative categories to guide interventions to meet the attachment needs and influence the development of their supervisees.