Counselor development and supervision: An exploratory study of the integrated developmental model of supervision.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore Stoltenberg, Mc Neil, & Delworth's (1998) Integrated Developmental Model (IDM) by following two first-year and two second-year counseling psychology doctoral students across an academic year of experience. Six interviews were conducted with each trainee and his respective supervisor at four to five week intervals during the Fall 1996 and Spring 1997 semesters. All interviews focused on counseling and training experiences and the trainees' reaction to these experiences. The interviews were recorded and then transcribed for analysis. In the first level of analysis, the transcripts for each trainee were read and reread to identify the trainee's relevant counseling and training experiences. In the second stage, the author charted each theme and then wrote a short summary for the main commonalities identified. The experiences were then categorized according to Stoltenberg's et al. (1998) eight domains (Intervention Skills, Assessment Skills, Interpersonal Assessment, Client Conceptualization, Individual Differences, Theoretical Orientation, and Professional Ethics). Finally, the author examined transcripts for evidence concerning trainees' experiences inconsistent with or not predicted by the IDM. Results clearly indicate that Stoltenberg's et al. Intervention Skills Competence, Interpersonal Assessment, and Theoretical Orientation domains were most effective in predicting development across the structures. A dearth of support was found for the IDM Level 2 therapist in the Self and Other Awareness structure within the Assessment Techniques, Treatment Plans and Goals, and Professional Ethics domains, as well as the Level 1 therapist in the Client Conceptualization domain.