Site Supervisor Self-disclosure: A Shared Experience

This study examined supervisor and supervisee perceptions of the purpose for using supervisor self-disclosure as an intervention in the counseling supervision process while also looking at supervisor and supervisee perceptions of the effects these disclosures have on the supervisee. The participants in this study were school counseling site supervisors and their supervisees enrolled in internship in school counseling at a CACREP accredited land-grant university in the southeastern United States. This study employed a collective case study design using multiple cases as sources for investigating the perspectives of both members of the supervisory dyad regarding the shared experience of a supervisor self-disclosure statement. Qualitative data analysis procedures provided a means for understanding participants’ perspectives. Relevant findings from the research included a common description of self-disclosure among participants and congruent perspectives between supervisors and supervisees sharing the same SRSD experience regarding the intended purpose and perceived effect of the SRSD. The researcher discussed implications for counselor education and for future research.