The purpose of the current study was to generate an emergent theory of the process of counselor supervision for counselor trainees who work with suicidal clients. The intent of the study was to explore the perspectives of five counselor supervisors who occupied the role of director of a counselor education counseling clinic/practicum training lab. An assumption was that counselor supervisors’ views about the process of counselor supervision with counselor trainees for suicidal clients may include such things as securing client safety, facilitating client growth, and promoting counselor trainee (i.e., pre-licensed counselor) maturation. The question that guided the current study was: How do five counselor supervisors express the process of supervision with counselor trainees for suicidal clients (i.e., clients with suicidal ideation, suicidal ideation with plan for suicide, or clients who attempt suicide)?
The inclusion criteria for participants were: Director of a Counselor Education Counseling Clinic housed in a counselor education department or program at a CACREP-accredited university, earned doctoral degree in counselor education, licensed as a professional counselor, received formal training as a counselor supervisor, provided direct supervision to practicum students, and provided supervision to a supervisee who worked with a suicidal client within the past two years. Numerous procedures (e.g., process notes, member checking, peer review) helped establish trustworthiness and credibility of the data analysis. All participants engaged in three semi-structured, individual telephone interviews lasting approximately 45 minutes and completed a 30-minute member check telephone interview. Data were analyzed according to constant comparison procedures.
The emergent theory, Supervision for Suicidal Clients as an Immediate, Versatile Collaboration Between Counselor Trainees and Counselor Supervisors, explained the experience of counselor supervision for counselor trainees who work with suicidal clients as a complex and evolving process characterized by the needs of the counselor trainee and the suicidal client. Contributions of the findings to existing literature are presented, implications, limitations and delimitations are explored, and suggestions for future research are provided.