Assessing Counselor Supervisee Contribution

Exploration of Prelicensed Counselors’ Experiences Prioritizing Information for Clinical Supervision

“…Researchers have discussed how supervisees can most effectively utilize clinical supervision and contribute to the supervision process in order to maximize their use of supervision. Numerous authors have noted the importance of supervisees self‐identifying their concerns and seeking guidance from their supervisors proactively (Norem et al, ; Pearson, ; Stark, ). Stark () also found that a positive professional attitude and engaging in a collaborative relationship with one's supervisor are important in the supervisory process.…”

“…Licensed counselors who are registered supervisors for prelicensed counselors assume legal responsibility for the well‐being of their supervisees’ clients (Magnuson, Norem, & Wilcoxon, ; Remley & Herlihy, ). Supervisors who fail to provide their supervisees with adequate supervision may also be found liable (Remley & Herlihy, ; Stark, ). Thus, it seems supervisors may be taking unnecessary risks by gathering information from prelicensed counselors without direct knowledge of the accuracy of the information.…”

“…Limited time in supervision, coupled with the lack of direct observation of clinical work, places a burden on prelicensed counselors to accurately identify the information that is most relevant and to convey this information to their supervisors in a succinct fashion. Supervision researchers have outlined conceptual frameworks for how prelicensed counselors should best utilize supervision (e.g., Maione, ; Pearson, , ) and have identified effective and ineffective supervisee behaviors in supervision (Norem, Magnuson, Wilcoxon, & Arbel, ; Stark, ; Wilcoxon, Norem, & Magnuson, ). However, to date, no study has empirically investigated prelicensed counselors’ experiences navigating the complex issue of maximizing their use of supervision given these numerous challenges (e.g., limited time, complex caseloads, greater autonomy, no direct observation by supervisors).…”

Differences in Perceptions of Supervisee Contribution: Supervisors’ vs. Supervisees’ Evaluations

“…To answer this question, a survey research design was employed, using an adapted version of Vespia et al's (2002) SURF (Stark, 2015). Based on the findings, as well as Amerikaner and Rose's (2012) finding that supervisee-initiated case presentation is the most frequently-used method of supervision, the researchers became curious about whether or not supervisor participants relied on supervisee self-report in their supervisory assessments.…”

“…In addition to openness (i.e., disclosure of pertinent information) in supervision, examples of supervisee contribution include reviewing session recordings, preparing a list of questions for supervision meetings, and implementing supervisor suggestions with clients (Stark, 2015;Norem et al, 2006;Pearson, 2004;Vespia, Heckman-Stone, & Delworth, 2002). Further, advanced supervisees are self-aware of their strengths, weaknesses, and emotional reactions to clients (Norem et al, 2006;Stoltenberg & McNeill, 2010), and they are "amenable to exploring their experiences related to clients and supervisors" (Norem et al, 2006, p. 7).…”