Adult Attachment, Multidimensional Perfectionism, and the Alliances Among Counselor Supervisees

Abstract

This study examined the moderating role that 2 dimensions of perfectionism (standards [adaptive] and discrepancy [maladaptive]) had on 2 dimensions of adult attachment (anxious and avoidant) and both client and supervisory alliances among 170 counselor supervisees. Anxious attachment and discrepancy were significant negative predictors of the client working alliance. A significant 3‐way interaction was found between anxious attachment, standards, and discrepancy on the supervisory working alliance. Implications from these findings are discussed.

Supervisee Attachment, Cognitive Distortions, and Difficulty With Corrective Feedback

“…The statistically significant correlations between attachment anxiety and all other study variables, including the total scores for cognitive distortions ( r = .51, p < .01) and difficulty with corrective feedback ( r = .42, p < .01), are noteworthy. The relationships between attachment patterns, cognitive distortions, and difficulty with corrective feedback provide further support for the growing body of literature regarding the significance of attachment in clinical supervision (e.g., Gnilka et al, 2016; Watkins & Riggs, 2012).…”

“…Attachment issues, such as fears of being rejected or abandoned, operated through distorted thoughts to decrease students’ ability to effectively utilize corrective feedback. These findings add to the body of literature examining the interrelationships between supervisee attachment patterns, cognitions, and experience of the supervision process (e.g., Gnilka et al, 2016), while further explicating the process by which two foundational constructs in the broader psychological literature—attachment anxiety and cognitive distortions—may work together to create challenges for developing counselors attempting to understand and apply corrective feedback.…”

“…Supervisees may move away (avoid), move toward (reflexively comply with), or move against (resist) people or situations that provoke anxiety (Horney, 1950). These unconscious reactions to anxiety parallel the attachment dimensions of anxiety (fear of abandonment) and avoidance (fear of closeness; Gnilka, Rice, Ashby, & Moate, 2016). Duffey, Haberstroh, Ciepcielinski, and Gonzales (2016) argued that awareness of the interplay between anxiety and relational patterns may deepen a supervisor’s ability to empathize and appropriately intervene with a supervisee and also may provide an opportunity to model the salience and usefulness of these psychotherapeutic constructs within the context of the supervisory relationship.…”

Perfectionism and School Counselors: Differences in Stress, Coping, and Burnout

“…Perfectionism is a personality characteristic that has received increased attention as a factor that influences stress and burnout (e.g., Childs & Stoeber, , ; Moate et al, ; Schwenke et al, ; Stoeber & Rennert, ). Although earlier researchers viewed perfectionism as unhealthy and a pathological pursuit of unrealistic high standards (Burns, ), more recent studies have viewed perfectionism as a multidimensional construct (e.g., Gnilka, Rice, Ashby, & Moate, ; Noble, Ashby, & Gnilka, ). Stoeber and Otto () conducted a comprehensive review of the perfectionism literature and concluded that two key perfectionism dimensions cut across the competing models: perfectionistic strivings and perfectionistic concerns.…”

“…Individuals in different perfectionism classes exhibit different levels of coping and stress (e.g., Gnilka, Ashby, & Noble, , ; Gnilka et al, ; Rice & Lapsley, ). For example, maladaptive perfectionists have high levels of negative coping processes and stress coupled with low levels of task‐based coping processes.…”