8 TPC Digest 9 TPC Digest Dan Li Moderation Effects of Supervisee Levels on the Relationship Between Supervisory Styles and the Supervisory Working Alliance Supervisee development is integral to counselor training. Although it is widely acknowledged that supervisors should adopt different styles when supervising counselor trainees at varying levels, little is known about how to measure supervisee levels using reliable and valid psychometric instruments, other than a broad categorization of supervisees based on their training progression (e.g., master’s level vs. doctoral level; practicum vs. internship; counselor trainee vs. postgraduate), and how the matching of supervisory styles and supervisee levels relates to supervision processes and/or outcomes. The supervisory working alliance is key to the supervision process and outcome. Accordingly, this study examined the hypothesized moderation effects of supervisee levels on the relationship between supervisory styles and the supervisory working alliance (i.e., whether the relationship between supervisory styles and the supervisory working alliance varies under different contexts). This study revealed two groups of major findings. First, the positive correlation between the interpersonally sensitive supervisory style and the supervisory working alliance was stronger for supervisees at lower levels of professional development than for supervisees at higher levels. Furthermore, this significant moderation effect was evident not only when supervisee levels were treated as an overarching construct but also when each indicator of supervisee levels (self and other awareness, motivation, and autonomy) was independently examined. Moreover, this moderation pattern was echoed by the positive association between the task-oriented style and the supervisory working alliance, wherein the correlation was stronger for supervisees at lower levels of self and other awareness (one indicator of supervisee levels) but weaker for those at higher levels of self and other awareness. It is worth noting that, although such correlation was more sensitive among supervisees at lower levels of development, supervisees at higher developmental levels (including indicators of supervisee levels) in all models with significant moderation effects reported a stronger supervisory working alliance than did their counterparts at lower levels. Entry-level supervisees typically focus more on their own anxiety and their lack of skills and knowledge and are in greater need of structure and guidance. Naturally, as they perceive more interpersonally sensitive or task-oriented characteristics in their supervisors, they are more likely to report a stronger supervisory working alliance. As they progress to higher levels of development with accumulated knowledge, skills, and competencies, supervisees become more aware of clients and themselves, more intrinsically and consistently motivated, and more independent as practitioners, which may in part explain why their ratings of the supervisory working alliance were less related to their perceptions of supervisor characteristics but generally higher than supervisees at lower levels of development. This may imply that different supervisory styles help maintain the working alliance that has been established early on in supervision. Dan Li, PhD, NCC, LSC (NC, K–12), is an assistant professor of counseling at the University of North Texas. Correspondence may be addressed to Dan Li, Welch Street Complex 2-112, 425 S. Welch St., Denton, TX 76201, Dan.Li@unt.edu. | TPC Digest 9 | TPC Digest Read full article and references: Li, D. (2022). Moderation effects of supervisee levels on the relationship between supervisory styles and the supervisory working alliance. The Professional Counselor, 12(2), 167–184. doi: 10.15241/dl.12.2.167
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