Individual, Family, and Community Education ETDs

Publication Date

Spring 2026

Abstract

Counselor self-awareness development is valued as an ethical necessity for clinical competency and effective counseling (ACA, 2014; CACREP, 2023; Pompeo & Levitt, 2014; Ratts et al., 2016). The extant literature has identified clinical supervision as critical in counselor trainees’ self-awareness development (Brien et al., 2023; Lohani & Sharma, 2023). However, little is known about how counselors-in-training experience moments of self-awareness in clinical supervision. This study, guided by Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), aimed to explore counselor trainees’ self-awareness experiences in the context of clinical supervision. The findings for this study included five Group Experiential Themes (GETs): (1) “A Window Versus a Wall:” The Influence of the Supervisory Relationship; (2) Navigating Initial Emotional Response; (3) Being Guided by Therapeutic Supervision Interventions; (4) Self-Awareness Transforming Clinical Practice; and (5) Growth and Reflection Beyond Supervision. The findings contribute to counselor self-awareness literature by highlighting the critical importance of supervision relationships and practices in supporting and guiding counselor trainees’ self-awareness development processes.

Keywords

Clinical Supervision, Counselor Development, Self-Awareness, Counselor Education, Supervisory Relationship

Document Type

Dissertation

Language

English

Degree Name

Counselor Education

Level of Degree

Doctoral

Department Name

Individual, Family, and Community Education

First Committee Member (Chair)

Monique N. Rodríguez, Ph.D.

Second Committee Member

Xiaoxuan Qu, Ph.D.

Third Committee Member

Ashley Martin-Cuellar, Ph.D.

Fourth Committee Member

Brett Wilkinson, Ph.D.

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Available for download on Tuesday, May 16, 2028

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