Supervision of school counselors-in-training: site supervisors’ experiences and perspectives

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Holly K. Sopko (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Advisor
James Benshoff

Abstract: Supervision models and guidelines (Kahn, 1999; Lambie & Sias, 2009; Luke & Bernard, 2006; Murphy & Kaffenberger, 2007; Nelson & Johnson, 1999; Roberts & Morotti, 2001; Studer, 2005; Wood & Rayle, 2006) have been proposed to address the distinctive issues of site-based supervision of school counseling interns. However, they have not been applied and examined empirically. Also, a dearth of literature exists specifically addressing the unique challenges faced by site supervisors hosting school counseling interns (Kahn, 1999; Lazovsky & Shimoni, 2007; Roberts & Morotti, 2001). Finally, no literature has explored site supervisors' experience of supervising school counseling interns. The aim of this research was to gain a greater understanding of the actual and ideal experiences of school counselor site supervisors. Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) methodology was used to guide interviews with site supervisors about their experiences and perspectives as counseling supervisors and to analyze data collected. This research examined site supervision of school counseling interns from the site supervisors' perspective, and will provide a step to ensuring that school counseling interns are receiving adequate supervision and site supervisors' needs are being met by counselor training programs and educational leaders. Eight individual interviews were conducted with school counselor site supervisors to collect data about their supervision experiences and perspectives. Two additional interviews with school counselor site supervisors served a stability check. Following CQR procedures, twelve domains surfaced as a result of the interviews: 1) site characteristics, 2) intern characteristics, 3) supervisor characteristics, 4) training program characteristics, 5) site supervisor's expectations for supervision, 6) university expectations for supervision, 7) site supervisor's role in supervision, 8) university role in supervision, 9) reasons for providing supervision, 10) site supervisor's feelings, 11) supervision outcomes, and 12) ideal supervision experience. Research findings are discussed in the context of existing guidelines, models, and previous research in the area of clinical supervision. Implications of these research findings can be applied to school counselor site supervisors, and also extend beyond site supervisors to include the counselor educators, interns, education leaders, as well as the school counseling profession.

Additional Information

Publication
Dissertation
Language: English
Date: 2012
Keywords
Counseling, Counselor, Intern, School, Site, Supervision
Subjects
Student counselors $x Supervision of
Student counselors $x Training of
Supervisors $x Training of
Internship programs

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