TPC Journal V7, Issue 2 - FULL ISSUE

The Professional Counselor | Volume 7, Issue 2 141 counselor self-efficacy warrants further attention. Research outside the field of school counseling has identified a positive relationship between attachment security and higher levels of competence and self-efficacy beliefs (Mikulincer & Shaver, 2007). Given that self-efficacy was significantly negatively correlated to both attachment anxiety and avoidance in this study, additional studies examining these relationships may clarify possible connections between school counselor self-efficacy beliefs and attachment characteristics. We did not examine whether SCSE subscales were differentially related to school counselor activities. Doing so could identify professional areas about which counselors feel most efficacious and those that need bolstering. Explaining the reasons some school counselors perform more successfully is an enduring goal of counseling research (Sutton & Fall, 1995). Our results did indicate significant relationships between attachment anxiety and school counselor practice. Specifically, attachment anxiety predicted a lower preference for intervention activities, as well as a discrepancy between actual and preferred “other” non-counseling activities that revealed a higher preference for performing them. Although small, these results could lead to further understanding of the factors related to differences in school counselor practice. As this study has taken a broad view of how school counselor practice could be affected by attachment dimensions, qualitative studies examining the unique experiences of anxiously attached counselors in their work environment have the potential to reveal important perspectives. Identifying how attachment style may contribute to the endorsement and performance of specific intervention activities could lead to a greater understanding of school counseling practice. Conflict of Interest and Funding Disclosure The authors reported no conflict of interest or funding contributions for the development of this manuscript. References Akos, P., & Scarborough, J. L. (2004). An examination of the clinical preparation of school counselors. Counselor Education and Supervision , 44 , 96–107. doi:10.1002/j.1556-6978.2004.tb01863.x American School Counselor Association. (2003). The ASCA national model: A framework for school counseling programs. Alexandria, VA: Author. American School Counselor Association. (2012). The ASCA national model: A framework for school counseling programs (3rd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Author. Bandura, A. (1996). Ontological and epistemological terrains revisited. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry , 27 , 323–345. doi:10.1016/S0005-7916(96)000493 Bardhoshi, G., Schweinle, A., & Duncan, K. J. (2014). Understanding the impact of school factors on school counselor burnout: A mixed methods study. The Professional Counselor , 4 , 426–443. Bartholomew, K., & Horowitz, L. M. (1991). Attachment styles among young adults: A test of a four-category model. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , 61 , 226–244. doi :10.1037/0022-3514.61.2.226 Bemak, F., & Chung, R. C.-Y. (2008). New professional roles and advocacy strategies for school counselors: A multicultural/social justice perspective to move beyond the nice counselor syndrome. Journal of Counseling & Development , 86 , 372–381. Bodenhorn, N., & Skaggs, G. (2005). Development of the School Counselor Self-Efficacy Scale. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development , 38 , 14–28. Bodenhorn, N., Wolfe, E. W., &Airen, O. E. (2010). School counselor program choice and self-efficacy: Relationship to achievement gap and equity. Professional School Counseling , 13 , 165–174.