Supervision in Rehabilitation Counseling: Applications of Theory to Understand Supervision Style and the Supervisory Working Alliance

Abstract

Recent years have evidenced an increased interest in developing theoretical models of supervision and empirically analyzing the supervisory process. The major theme underlying these efforts concerns the supervisory contexts - including style and relationships - which are most effective for trainees with varying needs and at different levels of experience. With the availability of models and instrumentation unique to supervision, it is now possible to more critically look at the perceptions of students and their respective supervisors regarding how supervision occurs. This study examines the current theoretical models of supervision, considers the linkages between the theoretical models and assessment instrumentation which has been developed, applies the models and rating scales toa sample of matched pairs of rehabilitation counseling students and their respective supervisors, and proposes applications for analyzing and improving supervision in rehabilitation counselor education.