L. DiAnne Borders

Best Practices in Clinical Supervision: Evolution of a Counseling Specialty

A number of developments have marked the evolution of clinical supervision as a separate specialty since publication of the Standards for Counseling Supervisors in 1990, including accreditation and counselor licensure standards, supervisor credentials, and research on supervision practice and supervisor training, nationally and internationally. Such developments culminated in the development of a statement of Supervision Best Practices Guidelines. The Guidelines are described, followed by suggestions for their implementation and further evolution through research.

Boys' Perceptions of the Male Role: Understanding Gender Role Conflict in Adolescent Males

Adolescent males are at risk for a number of academic, social, and emotional problems. Existing research provides evidence that a number of these problems are related to conflicts experienced by adolescent males through the gender socialization process, called gender role conflict. Whereas there is ample empirical literature on gender role conflict in adult males, few researchers have investigated this hypothesized conflict in adolescent males. This study, involving small interview groups of adolescent males, was designed to examine the validity of the gender role construct for adolescent males.

Snapshot of clinical supervision in counseling and counselor education: A five-year review.

Abstract Clinical supervision articles in journals published by die American Counseling Association and in two international counseling journals over the last five years include both conceptual pieces and empirical studies. These articles are reviewed and discussed in light of themes, trends, and implications for the practice of clinical supervision as well as supervisor training.

Perceptions of the Supervisory Relationship A Preliminary Qualitative Study of Recovering and Nonrecovering Substance Abuse Counselors

Interviews with a sample (N = 5) of substance abuse counselors were conducted concerning perceptions of their relationship with their clinical supervisors. The interview protocol was developed from four existing supervision relationship inventories, with an additional group of questions concerning satisfaction with supervision. Significant themes were determined from the examination of interview data. In addition, the supervisory relationship responses were compared to responses about supervisee satisfaction with supervision. Salient themes also were compared based upon counselor and supervisor substance abuse recovery status. The significance of recovery within the supervisory relationship is discussed as well.

Supervision of psychosocial skills in genetic counseling.

Little has been written about how genetic counseling supervisors can help students develop psychosocial skills in their clinical rotations. The authors describe several approaches supervisors can use, ranging from preventive measures (e.g., normalizing anxiety), to skill-enhancing interventions (e.g., modeling and thinking aloud), to more direct approaches (e.g., immediacy, confrontation) that may be necessary for students who are reluctant, or even resistant, to using psychosocial skills with their clients.

Prioritizing questions and methods for an international and interdisciplinary supervision research agenda: Suggestions by eight scholars

Eight active supervision scholars provide their perspectives on priorities for advancing research in clinical supervision. Based on proposals they presented at an invited symposium held during the 11th International Interdisciplinary Conference on Clinical Supervision, the authors propose research questions around multicultural identities, supervisor expertise, supervision models, and research methods. Although neither a comprehensive nor exhaustive list of priorities, the authors hope the article encourages dialogue across disciplines and countries that expand understanding of clinical supervision practice and supervisor education.

Subtle Messages in Clinical Supervision

The supervision literature is replete with cautions that supervision practice often must be subtle and nuanced to meet the individualized needs of supervisees. It offers little direction, however, for how and why a supervisor might choose a more subtle, indirect approach over a more direct approach. Some guidelines for making this decision and some examples of more subtle, indirect approaches are described and illustrated.

The Counselor Cognitions Questionnaire: Development and validation.

Cognitive complexity is a crucial factor in counselor efficacy, yet an empirically validated instrument that measures counselors’ cognitions about clients does not exist. Development and preliminary psychometric support for such a measure, the Counselor Cognitions Questionnaire (CCQ), are described. Evidence of validity and reliability are reported.

Parental involvement in college planning: Cultural considerations when working with African American families

Purpose: The purpose of this article was to describe Hossler and Gallagher’s (1987) college choice model and emphasize the predisposition phase of the model as the starting point for school counselors’ efforts to help African American parents foster their children’s college planning in the college choice process.Design/methodology/approach: The authors wrote this manuscript as a conceptual approach to helping school counselors work with African American parents in their children’s college planning process by including two case studies as examples.Findings: This is a conceptual article.Practical implications: School counselors should be culturally competent and aware of how African Americans reartheir children to help them successfully navigate college planning. For example, schoolcounselors can learn about and share information with families about colleges that have supportprograms assisting African American students toward college completion.Originality/value: This paper is important to the field of education as it contributes to the literature regarding how school counselors can assist students in becoming college and career ready by working with their parents using a college choice model.

Triadic Supervision with Practicum and Internship Counseling Students: A Peer Supervision Approach

Accreditation standards in counseling allow triadic supervision, one supervisor meeting with two supervisees simultaneously, as a substitute for individual supervision. Research, however, has indicated that triadic sessions may complement individual and group supervision by offering unique learning opportunities not present in other supervision modalities. We describe a peer supervision approach that capitalizes on these learning opportunities while addressing some of the challenges in conducting triadic supervision (e.g., helping supervisees give constructive feedback, keeping both engaged). We include structured peer review forms used with practicum and internship supervisees and describe different supervisor roles during triadic supervision with these two groups.