Counselor Supervisors Research Articles

Defining Systemic Change in School Counseling: A Delphi Study

ABSTRACT Systemic change is regarded as a key component of professional school counseling practice for increasing positive, equitable outcomes for PreK-12 students. Although related constructs like leadership and advocacy have been thoughtfully explored, systemic change requires consultation and collaboration with educational and community partners. To date, there has been a lack of clarity around how systemic change looks in practice for school counselors. The purpose of this study was to explore the foundational components of systemic change in school counseling. Using Delphi methodology, an expert panel of 22 participants consisting of professional school counselors, counselor educators, and school counseling supervisors developed a consensus list of 130 items describing the core beliefs, knowledge, dispositions, and skills necessary for school counselors to conduct systemic change. The findings suggest future implications for school counseling research, preparation, and consultation.

Growing grassroots: Counseling student experiences in legislative professional advocacy

ABSTRACT Counselor educators and supervisors have a vital role in promoting legislative professional advocacy (LPA). An interpretative qualitative analysis study of counseling graduate students involved in state-level LPA was conducted. Findings revealed six distinct themes: (1) professional counselor identity, (2) knowledge, attitudes and skills, (3) professional support, (4) power of the group, (5) social justice, and (6) personal impact. Study findings may help counselor educators and supervisors educate, guide, and mentor students, thereby increasing the likelihood of professional counselor LPA.

A pilot study of the behavioral addictions knowledge survey: Ensuring students’ knowledge about process/behavioral addictions

AbstractFuture counselors are likely to work with clients with process/behavioral addictions (PBA). The behavioral addiction knowledge survey (BAKS) was designed to determine counseling students’ knowledge of PBAs. This article presents the instrument development procedures and results of a preliminary exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and a Rasch analysis of the BAKS. The sample size included 77 counseling students. The EFA suggested a three‐factor, 18‐item solution, with satisfactory internal consistency within each factor. Rasch analysis results also yielded excellent infit and outfit statistics. Detailed psychometric properties of the BAKS are provided. Implications for counselor educators, supervisors, and future researchers are included.

Perspectives of genetic counseling supervisors regarding genetic counseling students' attainment of practice-based competencies in clinical care through remote supervision.

There are limited studies regarding the attainment of the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling Practice-Based Competencies by genetic counseling students who complete clinical rotations in an in-person setting versus in a remote setting that incudes telephone and/or video patient encounters. This study explored the perceptions of 17 patient-facing genetic counselors who had served as supervisors for genetic counseling students regarding student attainment of practice-based competencies in in-person compared to remote rotations. Participants were recruited through an American Board of Genetic Counseling eblast and were required to have at least 2 years of clinical experience and experience providing genetic counseling supervision for at least one in-person rotation and one remote rotation. Four focus groups were created comprising genetic counselors from various practice disciplines. Discussion focused on potential differences and similarities in supervisor perceptions of student attainment of each clinical practice-based competency, and whether there were any concerns about students being able to attain each competency in remote rotations. Overall, participants discussed that genetic counseling students' attainment of clinical competencies through remote rotations was comparable to in-person rotations; however, 15 themes were identified illustrating differences reported by participants in how they observed these skills being performed by students in in-person versus remote clinical settings. The findings of this study highlight important considerations when developing a remote rotation, as well as ways in which certain clinical skills may be further enhanced through a combination of both in-person and remote clinical experiences. A noted limitation of remote rotations is that students have less of an opportunity to interact with other providers, and so may require other opportunities for interprofessionalism and to understand their role as part of a larger organization. Further study is required to elucidate differences between telephone and video clinics, as well as potential differences pertaining to various specialty areas of practice.

An assessment‐based approach to understanding intersectional privilege

AbstractAwareness of intersectional privilege is a theme woven throughout the Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies (MSJCC). However, a paucity of resources exists to guide counselor educators and supervisors in helping counselors‐in‐training (CITs) examine personal positions of privilege embedded within the MSJCC framework. The Intersectional Privilege Screening Inventory (IPSI) is among the first instruments yielding psychometrically valid scores to assess intersectional privilege as a training tool for CITs. We urge counselor educators and supervisors to employ the IPSI to facilitate CIT growth and development in multicultural and social justice counseling. A brief review of the literature on intersectionality, privilege, and intersectional privilege is presented as a foundational context for the broader discussion of the IPSI. We then describe a conceptual approach for using the IPSI in CIT training and development followed by case examples highlighting the IPSI's utility. We conclude with implications for counselor education and supervision.

Intermodal Expressive Arts in Individual Supervision

ABSTRACT Intermodal expressive arts (EXA) integrates two or more arts modalities to facilitate development, growth, and positive change within participants. Intermodal EXA provides opportunities for deepened processing moving beyond cognitive levels to include sensory, perceptual, and affective levels. Intermodal EXA results in development of internal resources, expanded perspectives, and strategies for problem-solving. Although EXA has an increasing body of literature, literature is limited for the application of intermodal expressive arts in individual supervision as a unique discipline among creative therapies. This article aims to inform counseling supervisors of the potential benefits of intermodal EXA individual supervision, including increased supervisee self-awareness, by providing an example of the application of EXA’s theory of practice to individual supervision.

Creation and initial validation of a genetic counseling supervisory self-efficacy scale.

Fieldwork supervision is the "signature pedagogy" for training genetic counseling students, ensuring that students have the experience necessary to become minimally competent genetic counselors. According to the National Society of Genetic Counselors 2022 Professional Status Survey, roughly 40% of genetic counselors serve as supervisors for genetic counseling graduate students. Despite fieldwork supervision being essential for training, there are currently no validated supervision skill assessment tools for genetic counseling fieldwork supervisors to use for professional development. While a self-efficacy scale for genetic counselors currently exists, a comprehensive self-efficacy scale for genetic counseling supervision skills does not. The purpose of the study was to develop and validate a genetic counseling supervisory self-efficacy scale (GCSSES). This study was comparative, quantitative, and cross-sectional, with data collected via an online questionnaire which assessed supervision self-efficacy (95 items), derived from 154 published GC supervision competencies, demographics (5), experience (9), and supervisory development (18), using the Psychotherapy Supervisory Development Scale (PSDS). A total of 119 board-certified genetic counselors completed the survey. Factor analysis eliminated 40 items due to insufficient factor loading, and item-item correlation eliminated one item with elevated inter-item correlation, leaving 54 items on the finalized GCSSES. Exploratory factor analysis derived four GCSSES factors, which accounted for 65% of the variance in the scale: (a) Goal Setting, Feedback, and Evaluation; (b) Complex Aspects of Supervision; (c) Conflict Resolution; and (d) Working Alliance. Preliminary analyses show the GCSSES has high reliability and internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.99). Positive correlations between experience variables and supervisory self-efficacy were identified. A 54 item GCSSES was developed by this study. The GCSSES may serve as a tool for genetic counseling supervisors and graduate programs to assess skills, monitor professional development, and target training. A genetic counseling supervisory self-efficacy scale can also be used in future studies regarding training of genetic counseling supervisors.

Entrustment decision-making in genetic counseling supervision: Exploring supervisor and student perspectives to enhance training practices.

Entrustment decisions are an essential part of genetic counseling supervision and have the potential to influence a student's progression toward autonomy. However, there is often uncertainty among supervisors regarding how and when to make these decisions and very few studies have examined the impact of these decisions on students. This study utilized a mixed methods approach including surveys of genetic counseling supervisors (n = 76) and students (n = 86) as well as qualitative interviews with genetic counseling supervisors (n = 20) and students (n = 20) that explored factors that influence the entrustment decisions of genetic counseling supervisors and their effect on genetic counseling students. Genetic counseling supervisors and students were recruited from various organizations across the United States and Canada and represented a range of geographic regions, hospital systems, and genetic counseling programs. A hybrid process of deductive and inductive coding and thematic analysis was used to evaluate and interpret transcripts from the supervisor and student interviews. All participants identified advantages of increased autonomy during training. However, many supervisors reported low entrustment, seldom allowing students to complete unsupervised sessions or supervised cases without interruption. Entrustment decisions were heavily influenced by student ability and confidence, as well as patient feedback. Students emphasized the negative impact of decreased entrustment on their confidence and described clear benefits to increased autonomy before, during, and after the genetic counseling appointment. Supervisors identified various barriers to entrustment pertaining to the student, clinical setting, and the patient, whereas students more often emphasized barriers pertaining to themselves. Our results highlight a tension between the clear advantages of increased entrustment and autonomy and various barriers to the provision of these opportunities. Additionally, our data suggest several ways to enhance the supervisor-student relationship and promote additional learning opportunities to support student-centered supervision.

A Delphi Study on Construction of Korean Family Counselor Core Competencies in Supervision

미국과 영국 등 가족상담이 일찍 발달한 나라에서 전문 학회 및 상담 관련 연구자들의 적극적인 동참으로 가족상담사 핵심역량 연구가 진행된 것과 달리, 한국에서는 사회문화적 특성을 고려한 가족상담사의 핵심역량에 대한 논의나 연구가 이루어지지 못했다. 이 같은 배경에서 본 연구는 슈퍼비전에서 활용 가능한 한국 가족상담사의 핵심역량 문항을 전문가 델파이 연구를 통해 구성하고자 하였다. 이를 위해 가족상담사 핵심역량 관련 국외 선행연구를 참고하여 핵심역량의 기초적 문항들을 추출하였으며, 이후 한국 가족상담 슈퍼바이저 20명을 대상으로 2회에 걸친 델파이 설문조사를 실시하였다. 초기 설문지 문항은 4개 영역, 20개 하위영역, 74문항으로 구성되었다. 1차 조사 결과 나타난 전문가 패널의 정성적 피드백과 항목의 중요도에 대한 평균, 표준편차, 내용타당도 비율(CVR)에 따라 문항이 선정되고, 단어 및 개념 수정, 일부 항목 삭제 또는 2개 이상 항목의 통합이 이루어진 후 2차 조사가 진행되었다. 최종적으로 4개 영역(‘가족 사정’, ‘치료계획 및 사례관리’, ‘치료적 개입’, ‘전문 윤리’), 10개의 하위영역, 44개의 문항으로 슈퍼비전을 위한 가족상담사 핵심역량(KFC-CC) 문항이 재구성되어 제시되었다. 본 연구 결과에 기초하여 연구자는 한국 가족상담 슈퍼바이저들을 대상으로 한 델파이조사 결과의 독특한 측면을 논의하였으며, 가족상담 교육, 훈련 및 평가에서 핵심역량 문항의 활용 방안들을 제시하였다.Objectives: Unlike the United States and the United Kingdom, in Korea, there has been no discussion or research on the core competencies of family counselors considering socio-cultural characteristics. This study attempted to construct core competency items of Korean family counselors that can be used in supervision through expert Delphi research. Methods: To this end, basic questions of core competencies were extracted by referring to previous overseas studies related to core competencies of family counselors, and then a Delphi survey was conducted twice with 20 Korean family counseling supervisors. Results: The initial questionnaire consisted of four categories, 20 sub-domains, and 74 questions through extraction of common categories from previous studies. After investigating twice, the questionnaire was reorganized into four categories, 10 sub-domains, and 44 questions as its final form. Conclusions: The authors discussed some unique aspects of Delphi survey results of Korean supervisors and suggested several prospective uses of the core competencies.

Enhancing professional identity through scholarship: examining the publication of dissertations in counselor education and supervision in peer-reviewed journals

ABSTRACT Commitment to a professional identity in the counseling profession includes enhancing the research and scholarly development of the next generation of counselor educators and supervisors. We investigated the rate of publication of CES doctoral dissertations in peer-reviewed journals sponsored by professional counseling organizations. Of the 721 dissertations completed in 52 CACREP-accredited programs from 2007–2011, 26.4% of dissertations were published up to 7 years later. We describe these publications, address ethical considerations, and discuss implications for professional identity in doctoral research.

Multicultural Counselor Supervision and Perceived Differences on Client Outcome

The purpose of this study was to examine the differences between counselor supervisors’ and supervisees’ perceptions of the impact of multicultural supervision on client outcome. Counselor supervisors and supervisees may have differences in how much they believe multicultural factors affect client outcome and this study aimed to determine what differences exist. There were 61 participants in the study consisting of faculty, counselor supervisors, counselors, and graduate students in counseling-related fields. The current study found that multicultural supervision/competence alone predicted supervisor perceptions of client outcome. The findings suggest that training in supervision and multicultural supervision is vital to the professional development of counselors and trainees in counseling- related fields. This training is also necessary because of the impact it has on clients. The implications of this study highlight the need to improve the knowledge of those in counseling-related fields as to the importance of multicultural counseling and competence in training.
 Keywords: multicultural, supervision, counselor self-efficacy

Cover, Table of Contents, Editor's Introduction

Editor’s Introduction to This Issue
 Saara Terry Grizzell University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
 On behalf of my co-founders and editorial colleagues, Dr. Roy Chen and Dr. Veronica Umeasiegbu, I am pleased to present the next issue of Contemporary Research in Disability and Rehabilitation (CRDR).
 This issue contains two articles. In the first article, Autism Spectrum Disorder Screening Practices in the United States and Mexico, Maria Valdez and colleagues present survey results using qualitative data and descriptive statistics to explore the screening and diagnostic practices of 35 professionals (30 in the U.S. and 5 in Mexico) who routinely work with children with ASD. In this study, Valdez and colleagues found many similarities in screening practices between professionals in the U.S. and Mexico. For example, in both the U.S. and Mexico the most frequently reported screening tool was the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT, Robins et al., 2001, 2009).
 Other similarities included parent involvement, key concerns around language development, a lack of routine screening for ASD, and the screening of children between the ages of 2 to 4 years old. Differences in screening and diagnostic practices involved the professionals engaged in screening for ASD and the referral process in the aftermath of failed ASD screenings.
 In the second article, Multicultural Counselor Supervision and Perceived Differences on Client Outcomes, Dr. Perez and colleagues present original research exploring the differences in perceptions among counselor supervisors and supervisees about the impact of multicultural supervision upon client outcomes. In this study, sixty-one participants consisted of faculty, counselor supervisors, counselors, and graduate students in counseling programs. This study found that multicultural supervision/competence predicted supervisor perceptions of client outcome, thus highlighting the importance of multicultural supervision and the need to improve training in multicultural competence.
 With that being said, I hope you enjoy this publication of CRDR.
 Sincerely,
 Saara Terry Grizzell, Ph.D., CRC, LVRC, LCDC, LPC Outgoing Editor, CRDR

상담수퍼바이저 역량모형 개발을 위한 연구

Objectives This study aims to develop a competency model on the knowledge, skills, attitudes, etc. of a counseling supervisors from the perspectives of the expert competency model.
 Methods In order to construct the competency model required for counseling supervisors, competency factors were extracted through the study of literatures, in-depth interviews with counseling supervisors, and open questionnaires for counseling supervisors. In order to verify the validity of the competency model for counseling supervision, the Delphi survey was conducted 3 times in total. We examines the relatives importance of the competencies required for counselors. For this purpose, we conductes an expert survey using the Analytic Hierarchy Prosess(AHP) to calculate the relative weights of the competency groups, competece factors, and competency indicators of the finalized counseling supervisor competency model.
 Results The finalizes counseling supervisor competency model consisted of counseling supervisor definition, 3 competency groups, 11 competency factors, and 50 competency indicators. In the counseling supervisor competency group, ‘personal qualities/attitude’ competency group was moret importan than ‘theoretical knowledge’ or ‘job performance’ competecy group. The highest weights among the 11 competency factors was ‘self-reflection and self-development ability’. The highest weights among the 50 competency indicators was ‘respect and concere for a supervisee’.
 Conclusions The significance and implications of this paper are as follows. Understanding counseling competencies willhelp establish professional educational goals, curriculum development and evaluation cruteria for counseling supervisors. And the counseling supervisor compedency model of this study will provide the basic data for establishing qualification criteria and developing professional certification systems for counseling supervisors in the future.

Professional Disposition Considerations in Clinical Supervision: A Social Justice and Disability Perspective

The concept of social justice has been discussed in the counseling profession for decades and is considered an ethical obligation when providing services to clients. Counselor educators and supervisors are also responsible for integrating social justice into their work when teaching and training counseling trainees (i.e., supervisees, students). The evaluation of professional dispositions of counseling trainees is a required task of counselor educators. While much has been discussed regarding the process of professional disposition assessment, there has been less discussion of appropriate evaluation processes when working with trainees with disabilities and intersecting identities. Lack of intentionality with evaluation practices, especially integrating a social justice lens, could lead to inaccurate and harmful evaluation of trainees with disabilities and intersecting identities. The purpose of this paper is to synthesize the concepts of social justice with supervision and disability to offer a more robust discussion regarding supervision practices that may lead to more accurate and helpful evaluation of trainees.

A differential item functioning study of counseling competencies scale‐revised scores

AbstractOur study examines the differential item functioning of the Counselor Competencies Scale—Revised (CCS‐R) scores due to respondents’ gender, the type of evaluation, and a combination of these two variables using a large sample (N = 1614). Implications of the findings are offered to inform counselor educators and supervisors using the CCS‐R and similar supervisee assessment measures.

Leveraging State Policy to Promote School Counselor–Principal Collaboration

Over the past two decades, state policy pertaining to school counselors has grown to the point that most states now require the delivery of counseling services. Some states mandate the presence of a school counselor in each school, and several specify required student-to-school counselor ratios. In 2019, New York State instituted regulations requiring the delivery of a comprehensive school counseling program. The purpose of this study was to measure the impact of this mandate on the perceptions of principals, assistant principals, school counselors, and counseling supervisors. This study includes a comparison of these professionals’ understanding of the school counselor’s role and responsibilities, and school building and district expectations and priorities. Results suggest that a mandate requiring comprehensive school counseling programs fostered more agreement between school counselors and principals than found in previous studies. Implications for practice include state policy as a tool to increase collaboration and opportunities for social capital between school counselors and principals.

Exploring school counselors’ and interns’ socioeconomic construct understanding and awareness

AbstractNine professional school counselors (PSCs) and eight school counseling interns in training (SCIT) participated in semi‐structured interviews to explore their understanding and awareness of socioeconomic constructs that influence a range of social, emotional, and academic outcomes for youth. Findings suggest that participants in both groups displayed advanced cognitive complexity of constructs, more SCIT focused on the micro‐level of economic stability, and more PSCs described the constructs through their experience with examples. The authors recommend that counselor educators and supervisors develop competencies to support advanced training and continuing education to increase clarity, awareness, and understanding of socioeconomic constructs that are impacting youth clients. The authors include future research directions.

활동이론의 관점에서 인간중심 상담공동체의 수련 활동체계 분석

This study is a case study that analyzed the training activity of a person-centered counseling community. The purpose of the study is to analyze the activity system of counselor training as a context for a community of practice for learning, and Engeström’s activity theory was used as a framework for analysis. For this purpose, six trainees who had participated in the training activity of A counseling institute for 3~5 years participated in the study, and interviews and class observations were conducted. As a result of the analysis, the six components of the activity system were identified, and contradictions within and between the components, and between activity systems were identified. In the activity system of the counselor training, supervisors and trainees participated as “subjects” in the activities to achieve the “object” of being a person-centered counselor; and “mediating artifacts” between subject and object were the person-centered counseling theory, the supervisor as a tool, modeling techniques, and person-centered culture. The counseling “community” was operated based on the implicit “rules” of autonomy, openness, and acceptance and the autonomous “division of labors” of clients, observers, and counselors. As the activity theory emphasizes contradictions as a core principle of community development, there are three major contradictions found in the activity system. First, confusion among “subjects” was indicated as a contradiction within an activity component; Secondly, objectification of the tool and the conflict among communities, subjects, and rules were identified as a contradiction between components; Lastly, as a contradiction between activity systems, a dilemma caused by the conflict of world views was identified. These contradictions were overcome by “exposure”, “awareness”, “expansion of perspective”, and “solidification of identity”. Based on the results, the concept of a counseling community was presented as an educational alternative to the counseling training process.

Experiences of United States genetic counseling supervisors regarding race/ethnicity in supervision: A qualitative investigation.

While addressing culture in supervision is important, research suggests genetic counseling supervisors are unsure how to discuss it within the supervisory relationship. This study explored the perceptions of genetic counselor supervisors from the United States regarding how their supervisors approached racial/ethnic differences in their supervisory relationships when they were students, effects on those relationships, and subsequent influences on their supervision practices. Nine genetic counselors who self-identified as White/Caucasian, and nine who self-identified as racial/ethnic backgrounds other than White/Caucasian, were purposively recruited to participate in semi-structured phone interviews. Questions explored participant perceptions of how their supervisors approached racial/ethnic differences in supervision, effects on those supervisory relationships, and influences of their experiences as students on their current supervision practice. Thematic analysis revealed four major themes, with most participants agreeing that (1) recognition of race/ethnicity in supervision was limited as a student and in their current supervision practices; (2) supervisors vary in their comfort discussing race/ethnicity; (3) prior student supervision experiences of racial/ethnic differences have limited effects on current supervision practice; and (4) supervisors desire more training in how to approach conversations around race/ethnicity. Further professional discussions about the role of race/ethnicity in the supervisory relationship and training in addressing the cultural context in supervision are needed.

Sacred Space: Student Supervisees' Experiences of Spiritual Issues

In this phenomenological study, we explored student supervisees’ experiences of spiritual issues during practicum. Six participants from programs accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs completed a demographic questionnaire and a semistructured interview. Participants reported experiences of internal tension due to spiritual issues and expressed hesitation in discussing spiritual issues with supervisors, prior to seeking resolution through reflecting on their counselor training, engaging in discussion with their supervisor depending on the comfort level in the relationship, and seeking outside support. Recommendations for counselor educators and supervisors are provided.