Clinical supervisors’ ethical and professional identity behaviors with postgraduate supervisees seeking independent licensure

Abstract

In addition to state laws, the counseling profession’s code of ethics and training standards stipulate that counselors clearly uphold ethical standards and identify with a distinct professional counselor identity. We investigated 411 postgraduate counseling supervisees’ experiences with ethical and professional identity development during supervision in the US The results of the survey indicated that supervisors do not directly and consistently pass a professional counselor identity to the supervisee. However, supervision encompassed ethical considerations. Study results are not a reflection of nor the sole responsibility of supervisors. The counseling profession must also assume responsibility for these outcomes and better support counseling supervisors in passing a counselor professional identity from the supervisor to the supervisee. Additional research could determine how to support supervisors in passing a counselor professional identity to the supervisee during supervision.

Keywords:

• supervision
• professional identity
• counselor
• supervisee
• development

Public Interest Statement

The counseling profession offers ample information covering how to be a supervisor for counselors earning the right to practice free of supervision. Yet the counseling profession does not ask supervisees’ about their perceptions of ethical and counselor professional identity behaviors occurring during supervision. The authors asked counselors under supervision to rate their supervisor on ethical and counselor professional identity behaviors during supervision. Understanding the outcomes of supervision from the perspective of the supervisee can help the profession of counseling to better train supervisors. Ultimately, understanding what is occurring in supervision from the perspective of the supervisee in terms of ethical practice and counselor professional has a great impact on the clients of the supervisee. Additionally, the supervision experience for the supervisee shapes their future career development. Knowing more about the supervisee’s perspective in supervision impacts the counselor, supervisor, organization, clients, community, and US society.

Acknowledgement

Thank you to all of the counselor supervisees who responded to our survey.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Daniel R. Cruikshanks

Daniel R. Cruikshanks, PhD, is Professor and Chair of the Psychology and Counselor Education Department at Aquinas College and a Supervising Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC-S) in Ohio. He served as President of the Ohio Counseling Association (OCA) during the Ohio Counseling Board’s five-year law review process. His research interests include supervision, counselor professional identity, and personality and ADHD. His latest award is the American Counseling Association—Midwest Region Branch—Best Innovative Practice Award (2013).

Stephanie T. Burns

Stephanie T. Burns, PhD, is an assistant professor at Western Michigan University in the Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology Department, where she is the Coordinator of the Clinical Mental Health Program. Burns is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Michigan and a National Certified Counselor (NCC). Her research areas of interest include student learning outcomes, counselor professional identity, ethics, the psychometrics of career interest inventories, career development, neurofeedback, counseling outcomes, program evaluation, and supervision.