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Person-Centered Training and Supervision With Beginning Counselors Jo Cohen Hamilton Kutztown University Kimbedy Faust Williams Pennsylvania Counseling Services Abstract Although Rogers is a significant inflr-rence on current counseling and psvchotherapv practice, person-centered therapv is in danger of extinction in the United States. ()ne wav to help it grorv is bv providing qualin' supervision to students who wish to become person-centered counselors and therapists. This paper introduces a five-factor model of PC training and supervision that is true to Rogers' theon' and consistent u'ith current counseling standards. Factor 1., comruunicating tbe core conditior.r, is grounded in nondirective communication and the self- actuals,zation principle. A direct applcation of Rogers' theory of therapt', Factor 1 can be called "couflselor-centered supervision." The remaining four factors communicate trainer/supervisor-centered attitudes. Factor 2, training in the core conditions, introduces exercises for enhancing core-condition learning. Factor 3, euahtalion, encompasses instruction in self-evaluation, supenrisor f-eedback, and complving with external requirements for evaluation. Factor 4, superaising theoretica/ dit,ersi4,, facilitates congruence in trainees' self-directed theoretical prc-rpensities, and Factor 5, tupenision etbics, assefts PC commitments to the American Counseling Association's (2005) humanistic ethicai guidelines and standards of practice. r\r.rthor notc: The authors s'ish to eir-c spccial tiranks to Barrr Grant. \{'e are also apprcciativc of thc eclitorial assistance of llcl I{ahn, Jack Diamond, -f ef Cornelius \\'hitc ancl -Jcrold Bozarth. -lo Cohcn-Ilamiiton, Ph.D. can bc re ached ^t H nmilton (@ ku tz tou'n. cclu. T'he Per.ron-Centered Journa4 Vol. 14, No. 1-2,2007 Printed in the United States. All rishts resen'ed.

Transcript of With Beginning Counselors

Page 1: With Beginning Counselors

Person-Centered Training and SupervisionWith Beginning Counselors

Jo Cohen HamiltonKutztown University

Kimbedy Faust WilliamsPennsylvania Counseling Services

Abstract

Although Rogers is a significant inflr-rence on current counseling andpsvchotherapv practice, person-centered therapv is in danger ofextinction in the United States. ()ne wav to help it grorv is bv providingqualin' supervision to students who wish to become person-centeredcounselors and therapists. This paper introduces a five-factor model ofPC training and supervision that is true to Rogers' theon' andconsistent u'ith current counseling standards. Factor 1., comruunicating tbe

core conditior.r, is grounded in nondirective communication and the self-actuals,zation principle. A direct applcation of Rogers' theory oftherapt', Factor 1 can be called "couflselor-centered supervision." Theremaining four factors communicate trainer/supervisor-centeredattitudes. Factor 2, training in the core conditions, introduces exercises forenhancing core-condition learning. Factor 3, euahtalion, encompassesinstruction in self-evaluation, supenrisor f-eedback, and complving withexternal requirements for evaluation. Factor 4, superaising theoretica/

dit,ersi4,, facilitates congruence in trainees' self-directed theoreticalprc-rpensities, and Factor 5, tupenision etbics, assefts PC commitments tothe American Counseling Association's (2005) humanistic ethicaiguidelines and standards of practice.

r\r.rthor notc: The authors s'ish to eir-c spccial tiranks to Barrr Grant. \{'e are also

apprcciativc of thc eclitorial assistance of llcl I{ahn, Jack Diamond, -f ef Cornelius

\\'hitc ancl -Jcrold Bozarth. -lo Cohcn-Ilamiiton, Ph.D. can bc re ached ^t

H nmilton (@ ku tz tou'n. cclu.

T'he Per.ron-Centered Journa4 Vol. 14, No. 1-2,2007Printed in the United States. All rishts resen'ed.

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I. The Question of Person-Centered ViabilityCad Rogers' influence on counselor training and supervision

has been profound (Seeman, 1997). In 1985, more than 2,000psychotherapists attending the first Evolution of PsychotherapyConference in Phoenix, Arlzona, recognized Rogets' enormouscontribution to psychotherapy with a two-minute standing ovation. Adecade later, Goldfried (1996) opined,

"Rogers' necessary conditions have now been thoroughlyintegrated into all maior schools of psychotherapy, but mostschools don't accept the core conditions as being sufficient.This is why the person-centered approach is dying. If you thinkabout it, there's really no gre^tet form of flattery to a theory ofpsychotherapy than to have become so integrated into thefoundation of all psychotherapy that the apptoach is no longernecessary" (conference notes).Provocative as Goldfried's (1996) extinction hypothesis is, it

has a couple of obvious flaws. First of all, for all bona fide therapies toagree that the core conditions afe necessary is not tantamount to a

thorough integration of Rogers' (1957,1959) PC approach. Person-centered empathy is a very particular type of understanding, one that isgenuine and accepting. Rogers (1957,1959) did not propose that thecore conditions were necessary; he proposed that they were necessary

and sufficient. Rogers' theory regarded the conditions as having othercharacteristics, including that the client is incongruent, r,'ulnerable, andanxious, and is also in psychological contact with an attentive,empathic therapist whose attitudes are (1) coflgruence, (2)

unconditional positive regard, and (3) empathic understanding of theclient's internal frame of reference S.ogers, 1,957 , 1.959). There is muchmore to person-centered theory-based practice than Goldfried's (1996)tborough-integration hrypothesis refers to. Secondly, the most endorsedtherapeutic orientation is eclectic (I..lorcross, Hedges, & Castle, 2002),

but this is not proof that PC is an insufficient stand-alone. Empiricalcomparison studies overwhelmingly support the sufficiency of PC vis-i-vis other approaches (cf., Cain & Seeman, 2002).

If the PC approach is endangered, which it does seem to be,

perhaps the most palpable and pernicious threat is managed care. Themanaged care industry encourages professionals to vie for power by

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producing quantified, accountable, evidence-based, "best practice."Cowan (2005) warns.

"There is a ve4' real danger in the curfent economic climate ofmental health care delivery that the field of counseling andpsychotherapy could increasingly become a marching groundfor an army of therapy 'technicians.' To prevent this, thosewho value the healing power of the therapeutic relationshipmust be mindful of the larger human context in which itoccurs." (p.27)

Person-centered research has been mindful of the human context formore than a half-century. It is intensely concerned with

^n"interhuman dimension of engagemeflt" (Cowan, 2005, p.35). Recentresearch on the Rogerian (1980) principles self-actualization andpresence (cf., Adomaitis, 2005; Natieilo, 2001), show a lively andeclectic PC communiw whose interests and productivity parallel a widerange of postmodern therapy developments, including the conceptsmindfulness and use of self (cf., Tursi & Cochran, 2006). Acounselor's mindfulness and use of self are not yet among thosebehaviors reimbursed by managed care.

It behooves PC educators to advocate for PC counseling as anapproach that has withstood the test of time. The five-factor model ofPC training and supervision introduced in this paper is true to Rogersand current with counseling standards. It provides a solid foundationfor those trainers and supervisors who are committed to promotingthe person-centered approach.

II. Four Client-Centered Training MethodsThe main focus of this paper is a presentation of our five-

factor model of PC orientation-specific training and supervision. Priorto this presentation, we will discuss and illustrate the particular waysthat PC training and supervision applies four training methods thathave proven so robust that virtually all theorv-specific and eclecticcounselor training use them: (1) client-counselor recorded sessions, (2)peer practice and empathy training, (3) experiential and self-development activities, and (4) focus on relationship (R.ogers, 1951;Rogers & Freiberg, 1994). Although employed universally in

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counseling education, these methods are not thoroughlv integrated inthe sense that non-PC and PC educators applv them equally.

II.A. Taped Sessions and Demonstration Interviews.Rogers' pioneering use of taped sessions and counseling

demonstration interviews demystified the therap,v process. Using state-

of-the-industry recording technology, Rogers moved psvchotherapl'research into the realm of empitical science. Strupp (1971,, p. 44) has

written that "the impetus given research by client-centered therapy is at

least equal in importance to Rogers' theoretical contributions or theeffectiveness of his form of ps),chotherapy." The value of revier,ving

one's own and others' counseling sessions is universal to all counselinqand psychotherapy.

II.B. Peer Counseling Practice and Empathy Training.As with recorded sessions, Rogers' (1951) method of peer

counseling with real-life issues was also groundbreaking. Today'strainees routinell' practice empathic listening with their peers. Traineecohorts arc largell, encouraged to present genuine concerns in order tosimulate real-life practice. There is an expectation that both parties willbenefit from participating in empathic listening. The Council forAccreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs(CACREP) (2001) (CACREP Standards IIID.I. - il1.D.5.) supportsreal-Life practice by only accrediting educational programs that have

practice rooms. Reai-hfe practice with peers, especially practicingempathy, is a core counselor Pfeparation component.

II.C. Experiential Groups and Self-Development Activities.Rogers (1951) played an important role in establishing

precedents for trainee participation in experientral groups and ongoingself-development activities. Experiential and self-development learninghave been long-standing requirements of analyic training. However,Rogers helped make interpersonal participation a here-and-nowprocess, a hallmark of well-rounded training programs, and a

benchmark for assessing counselor growth.

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II.D. The Significance of the Relationship and the CoreConditions.

Finally, Rogers (1,957, 1959) focused counselor training andsupen.ision on the significance of the relationship and the coreconditions. Comprehensive developmental supervision modelscollectively agree that humanistic and core-condition values areessential for successful supe rvision relationships (e.g., Bernard &Goodvear, 1992; Bradler,', 1989; Bradler. & Ladany, 2001; Hackney &Goodyear, 1984; Stoltenberg & Delworth, 1987 ; Stoltenberg, NIcNeill,& Delworth, 1998). Counseling is producing an abundant Literature oncounselor "use of self in therapy, an encouraging movement for thefuture of phenomenological and humanistic counseling.

Taping sessions, peer practice, experiential le arning, andrelationship significance are methods endorsed b1' counselor educationin toto. But PC educators, trainers, and supervisors app\' thesemethods in specific and unique wa1's.

III. Five-Factor Model of Person-Centered Training andSupervision

The present five-factor PC training and supervision modelespecially applies to training and supervising beginning counselors ineducational programs. Compared to their more experienced cohort,beginners express more doubts, ask more questions, communicatehigher levels of incongruence, prefer more input, expect externalevaluation, and present theoretical commitments that are less

cr1'stalJrzed and more diverse.The term "training" refers to relationships that are generally

more structured and directive than "supervision," which primarilyconsists of counselor-centered, Factor 1 process (see below). The five-factor model includes:

o Factor 1. A focus on communicating the coreconditions to a counselor's direct experience;

o Factor 2. Core-conditions training, including core-condition responses to a counselor's client;

o Factor 3. Instruction in self-evaluation and self-assessment Process;

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Factor 4. Respecting and accommodating theoreticaldiversity among counselors, and

Factor 5. Expressed commitment to AmericanCounseling Association (2005) ethics andf or relatedvalues.

III.A. Factor 1: Counselor-Centered Supervision (NondirectiveSupervision)

The foremost difference between PC and other theory-basedsupervision systems is the PC focus on nondirective, Factor 1,

communication. Factor 1 extends Rogers' client-centered theory oftherapy to training and supervision. Counselors are their own bestexperts. The core conditions are sufficient for facilitating counselorgrov/th. Factor 1 supervision, operating through the self-actuahzattonprinciple, is counselor-centered.

Counselor-centered supervision parallels the goals and

methods of client-centered therapy (Raskin, 1992) by focusing on thecounselor's direct experience-using moment-to-moment feedback-:'ather than on the client (Rice, 1980). The supervisor's positive regardfor counselors results in parallel learning in the counselor's positiveregard for clients (Arbuckle, 1,972). With attention upon counselorsrather than clients, evaluation and direction are minimized (Rice, 1980).

Rogers emphasized Factor 1 supervision process when he wrote,If the therapist conducting the training holds an

orientation which is interventive and interpretive, orone in which guidance and coaching play a prominentpart, then he will guide and coach the trainee andinterpret to him his own dynamics in the therapeuticrelationships. If the therapeutic orientation of thesupervisor is facilitative, endeavoring to permit theindividual to gain insight into himself and to develophis own modes of meeting life, then the supervisorycontacts wiII be primarily a listening, facilitativeunderstanding. The attempt will be to help the beginning

therapist [italics added] to become cleady aw^re of his

own feelings in his therapeutic interviews so he can

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more adequately come to be himself in the relationship.(Rogers,1957, p. 86)

Superwisors who consider how thel would respond to a counselor'sclient have strayed too far from Factor 1 client-centered attitudes(R.askin, 1992).

Developmental models of supervision share the PC view thatcore-condition responses to beginning counselor anxieties producecertain bene fits over and above more directive responses (".g.,Stoltenberg,I\{cNeill, & Delworth, 1998). Beginners tend to wantto d0

sometbing for clients (Rice, 1980); are impatient, expecting to see changesuddenly (Patterson, I974); and mistrust the counseling process(Rogers, 1951). Counselor-centered (core-condition) responsesminimize anxiety and facl[tate learning (Rogers, 1951; Rogers &Freiberg, 1994). The counselor-centered approach stimulates beginnersto assume responsibility, independence, and trust in their rvork withclients (Boy & Pine, 1999; Patterson, 1,964, 1997). A seif-directedcounselor is better equipped to counsel than one who is directed(Altucher, 1972).

The value of Factor 1 norwithstanding, Patterson (1964)doubts that the core conditions can ever be sufficient in client-centeredsupenision because of supervisof concefns about trainee performance.Likewise, Raskin (1,992) observed that despite efforts otherwise, PCsupervisors tend to suggest, evaluate, and direct supervisees towardspecific empathic responses aligned with their position. The followingfour factors illustrate directives used in PC training and supervision.

III. B. Factor 2:Trarining in the Core ConditionsFor Rogers (1951), core conditions training chiefly consisted of

listening to tapes, with attention focused on the counselor's capacityfor empathy and reliance upon the capaciw of the client. Patterson(1997) explains that client-counselor relationships develop as

counselors learn to assess their effectiveness demonstrating the coreconditions. Empathy is probably the skill/condition considered mostessential for a counselor to develop. Various exercises can be used totrain counselor empath)/, among them peer dyad practice in empathiclistening, empathy logs, group d),namic exercises, live and recordedobservation and feedback, and transcript and tape analvsis. The most

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thorcughh' accepted and researched core condition, empathv, has

produccd a proJrfic literature (e.e., Bohart & Greenberg,1,997) and isgencralh' credited u'ith contributing about one-third of therapr"soutcome variance (Hamilton, 2000; Nliller, Duncan, & Hubble, 1997).

Person-centered empathv is narrowly' defined. Consistent with\\'ebste r, it is "thc intelle ctual identification with or vicariousexperiencing of thc feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of another"(Borders Group, Inc., 2001, p. 638). Person-centered empathv is notlistener-centered understanding nor case conceptualization. It is an "as-ifl' condition thcilitated bl' and intertwined with attitudes of acceptanceand genuineness. Person-centered empathv training, therefore, uses

exercises that stimulate counselors to access and express honestexperience, encourage self-awareness and self-development, andt-acilitate beinq more fullv present and engaged with clients (Lambers,200q.

In addition to participating in self- and other-awarenessexercises, PC trainins teaches the core conditions serendipitously as

super-visors communicate the core conditions toward counselors' directexperiences, as in Factor 1 (Truax & Carkhuff, 1,967; Truax, 1972;Leddick, 1994). It also models the core conditions by giving sampleresponses that cou/d be made to clients (Mearns, 1.997). Whengenerating alternative responses, PC supervisors are characteristicallytentative, open to discussion, and intending to reflect no mofe nor less

than the core conditions. At least tu'o studies have found thatbeginning counselors appreciate supervisor and peer feedback in theform of modeled responses (Carifio & Hess, 1987; Lehrman-\\'aterman & I-adan1', 200I). In addition, supervisor empathy with a

counselor's clients appeafs to positively influence counselor-reportedsuperwision outcome (Carifio & Hess, 1987).

III.C. Factor 3: EvaluationRogers (Rogers, 1951; Rogers and Freiberg, 1994) underscores

that the counselor, not the supervisor, should be the primary locus ofevaluation. To achieve this aim, manlr pf trainers provide beginnerswith a stfucture for self-evaluation. Brodley, for instance, has authored

^ ration le and a method for beginning to learn empathy (Brodley,

1998), and set of guidelines for members new to PC communitv

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groups (Brodley, 1991). N{earns' Q997) "self-assessment s}'stem,"another structured approach to facilitating counselor locus, providesbeginners with ^ rattonale and method for client-centered self-evaluation. A report on ideal supervison' performance encoufa€les

structuring counselor self-evaluation: "A supervisory approach that is

neither passive nor directive but more middle-ground best suits mostsupervisees" (Cartfi,o & Hess, 1987 , p. 248).

Although structure is not anathema to PC training (e.g.,

Hamilton, 2000; Patterson, 1997), directing counselors to specific tvpesof responses transgresses nondirective attitudes. Trainer-centeredevaluations of a counselot's cote-condition capacities are neverthelesslong-standing traditions in PC education (Patterson, 1,964; 1,97 4; 1,997).

Person-centered research has historically suspended the as-if conditionin evaluation and training. The Barrett-Lennard Relationship Inventon'(see Barrett-Lennard, 1998, pp. 261-291), for example, vields bothcounselor and trainer-centered assessments of core-conditioncapacities. Typical ways that PC supervisors deviate from Factor 1

fesponses in evaluation are modeling client-centered responses, sharingoverall impressions of supervisee-client relationships, and rating andanalyzing a counselor's responses.

Having supervised more than 100 theoreticallv diversebeginning counselors in PC supervision over the past 15 \,ears, the firstauthor has observed that counselor attitudes towards self-evaluationand core-conditions evaluation vaty with counselors' theoreticalinterests. Generally, humanistic, nondirective, existential, and analvuctrainees embrace both self-evaluation and core-condition assessments.

In contrast, behavioral, cognitive behavioral, systemic, and solution-focused counselors tend to be nonplussed by self-evaluation anddownright frustrated by the PC supervisor's ongoing core-conditionsassessment. The following structured approach to self-evaluation andcore-conditions assessment illustrates how the first author has

structured self-evaluation and integrated directives for supervision withtheoretically diverse counselors :

I instruct counselors to cfeate a self-evaluation measurethat reflects the knowledge, skills and attitudes that are

important to them as a developing counselor. I acceptall sorts of skills that they decide to focus on. Some

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want to improve their diagnostic abiliq-; others want tobecome expert strategists. I do require them to self-evaluate their client-centercd capacities, unless the\, cansubmit sufficient evidence that ther"re not essential (sofar, no one has). We discuss what constitutes a valuableassessment lneasure , and have open dialogue onvarious aspects of sv2lu2den-including attitudesabout being evaluated, including attitudes about self-evah-ration. I recommend that their measure allow a

rangc of responses so that changes in skill/ability canbe assessed over time. I recommend at least one freefesPonse oPtion. I treat counselors as theif ultimateauthoritv on the evaluation. Beginning counselors havevarious needs and interests besides pefson-centered,and I belier.e that counselor self-actualization is mosthonored through genuineh' accepting andunderstanding the uniqueness in each counselor's self-directed theoretical propensity.(Hamilton, personalcommunication)

The above approach coheres with findings that successful supervisionoutcomes are mediated bt, counselor theort' preference and bvcounselor-supen'isor theoretical match Putneli $Torthington, &NfcCullough, 1992). As described in the following section, PCsupervision can respect theoretical diversiq' through genuine andacceptant understanding of counselor theoretical diversity.

III.D. Factor 4: Supervising Theoretical DiversityRogers believed that attitudes toward personal relationships

were more important than scientific knowledge and specificcourseu'ork, and he saw, too, that the field of counseling wasexpanding and deepening its theoretical focus (Rogers, 1951). Leddick(1994) uses the term "person-centered orientation-specificsuperu'ision" to refer to supervision between the counselor andsupen'isor who agree on client-centered values. Supervision derivedfrom a theort'-based st'stem of pst'chotherapt' is more effective thanatheoretical or technically eclectic supervision because a sharedphilosophv of therapv process and change brings agreement as to the

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meaning of therapy (?atterson, 1997). The benefit of theoreticaiagreement between supervisor and counselor cannot be overstated. AsLambers observed (2000), without a guiding framework, supervisionprocess tends to fesoft to evaluation.

Supervisors who work with theoreticallv diverse counselorsmust feconcile the incongruence genefated in encountering differences.Ethical supervisors respect diverse theories (D.1 .a. Difrirent Approacbes)

and terminate supervision when differences cannot be resolved (F.4.d.

T'ennination oJ' the Sapenitorl Relation.rhip). Person-centered supervisorssupport theoretical diversifi' as a fl^tvral br,lproduct of facilitatingcounselors to conceptuaLze in ways that grow out of their directexperience (Bradley, 1989). A recent edited volume on person-centeredsupervision suggests that PC supervisors respect a wide range ofeclectic attitudes:

"We suspect that the conditions we've argued are necessary forsupervision to begin are also sufficient. rVe think too that a

supervisor can embody and offer certain other qualities which,while they may not be strictly necessary to the process ofsupervision, enhance it sienificantly." (Tudor & \Vorrall,2004,p.21)Theory-specificity, an historically poor predictor of successful

counseJing (Fiedler, 1950), appears incapable of discriminating success

in supervision. In one study of 274 counselor trainees, counselor goal-setting and feedback success were not related to theorv but rather toworking alliance, supervisor influence on counselor self-efficacy, andoverall iupervision satis faction (I.ehrman-Waterman & Ladany, 2001).

In another study of 135 client reports on 35 beginning counselors(Hamilton, 2000), client outcome correlated positively with counselorcore-condition behaviors, however, neither client outcome northerapist core-condition behaviors correlated with counselortheoretical orientation (psychoanalvuc/psychod1,n2-1. vs.

cognitive/cognitive behavioral vs. eclectic vs. person-centered/humanistic)l Although theory per se is not a reliable predictorof supervisiofi success (nor of how the supervisor will behave), at leastone group of researchers found that supervisors perceived todisrespect counselor theoretical preference, irrespective of theoreticalorientation, are rated unhelpful (Ladanr', Hill, Corbett, & Nutt, 1996).

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III.E. Factor 5: Person-Centered Supervision EthicsPerson-centered supen'ision is compatible with American

Counseling Association (ACA) ethical guidelines and standards ofpractice. We present 10 ACA standards (American CounsclingAssociation, 2005) readilv communicated through PC training andsupen'ision practice. Nlodern ethical standards expressing PC valuesinclude :

1. Not inposing persona/ ua/uts, A.4.lt.Persona/ I/alaes. A PCsupervlsor communlcates gcnuine and empathicunconditional positive regard toward supervisees.

2, Obtaining czns(nl, A.2,a.Infonzed Consenf. Nondirectivelistening enables the PC supervisor to establish counselorattitudes about the learning contract. In addition, manv PCsupervisors provide structured statements about trainingpurposes and methods.

3. 7'be coanse/nr'.r participation in planning A.1 .c.Counseling P/ans.

The PC emphasis on self-directed growth potential assures

that supervisees participate in creating training objectives.4. 5'tandatds Jbr .re/J-exploration, Introdaction; f-.7.b. Se/f-Crou,th

Expeiences. Person-centered trainers live the value of self-exploration [1' participating in PC training programs (e.g.,

Person-Centered International ^t Warm Springs,Association for the Development of the Person-CenteredApproach, World Association for Person-Centered andExperiential Psvchotherapv and Counseling, the Center forInterpersonal Grov"'th, Experiencing Diversitr). Self-exploration experience is also facilitated b), th. PC focus onFactor 1, counselor-centered communication.

5. Recogniqing /inits to contpefence, C.2.a. Boundaies of Contpetence.

The PC supen-isor maintains openness to new information.Person-centered theorv recognizes that a counselor'sprogression tourard personal-professional congruence willin'u.oh'e increasingh'complex svmboLization on the part ofboth superwisee and supervisor (t" s)'mbolization andawareness, edge of, see Tudor & Mer4,, 2002).

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Expectations of llfekng /earuing C.2.1. Contintins hdncation. ThePC supervisor strives to be fullv present ancl open t() ne\\:expeflence.Begtnning counse/ors are diwrse, and .ruperisor.r ruust ln ofen to

difrirences, taking reasonab/e steps lo accarate/1 anderstand counse/or

needs, D.2.a. Consultant Contpeteng,. A commonmisperception of PC supervisor empathv is that itsrestriction to reflection of feelinu neglects a supervisee'scognitive and behavioral needs. Contrarih', nondirectivecommunication is not merell' reflection of feeling. Despitecriticisms that Rogers and PC theorists in seneral tend notto provide a recipe for empathic responses, PC empathv isan exceedinglv powerful u,'ay to communicate r,vith themultipliciq' of supervisee's social constructions.Thelt [supen,isori sbou/d Prepare to rueet counse/or diuersi4t 11,i111

diuerse ski/l.r and ruetltods, D.2.1r. (Jnderctanding Con.ruftees. Lnempathic response can be just about anvthing @ozarth,1.997), including a game of basketball, a tug-of-war, or a

strategrc lnterventlon.F.2.a. Superuisor Preparation. The PC trainer understands(Peters, 1999) and is humbled bv (Timul6k, 1999) thecounselor's relative powerlessness. Just as Rogers' (1 959)first change condition posits that counseling begins rvithcontact between individuals possessing unequal degrees ofcongfuence, PC supervisors recognize that a supervisee has

a less crl's12llized professional identitr'.F.2.b. Muhicaltaral Issuesf Diuersi4, in .fnpen,isioz. Because ofits phenomenological foundation, PC supervision is

extraordinarilv sensitive to the unique manner in whjchcultural, ethnic, religious, sexual, theoretical-orientation,and other human complexitv factors ma)' expressthemselves. \7e agree with Patterson (1997) that the PCsupervisor should be genuine in communicating her or hisDerson-centered orientation.

8.

9

10.

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IV. Conclusion.Person-centered training and supervision continues to pla;, an

important role in counselor education. The vast r.;.laiorit'y of AmericanPsychological Association eclectic counseling psychologists identify PCamong their choice theories Q.Jorcross, Hedges, & Castle, 2002). Someconjecture that the nondirective attitudes and phenomenologicalprinciples of the PC approach make it inherently r,-ulnerable tomanaged care. It behooves PC educators to advocate for PC theory-specific practices. The person-centered approach has withstood thetest of time (I{oocher, 2006) and has contributed to and produced a

wide range of successful research and practice findings, includingapplications in supervision (e.g., Lambers, 2000). To a most certainextent, the viabilin' of PC counseling falls on rhe shoulders ofcounselor education, training, and supervision, perhaps especially withbeginning counselors.

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