Supervising School Counselors through Student Suicide

Authors

Alexander T. Becnel, North Carolina State UniversityFollow
Joseph W. PistoriusFollow

Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3696-7494

Author Biographies

Alexander T. Becnel, Ph.D., LCPC, NCC is an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development at North Carolina State University. His research interests are youth suicide, school counselor education, and counseling leadership issues.

Joseph W Pistorius, PhD., LPC-SA, NCC, is the director of a non-profit counseling agency in New Orleans. His research interests are counselor supervision, termination, and legal and ethical issues related to counseling.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.7290/tsc07aqdi

Abstract

This phenomenological study explored the experiences of 11 school counselor supervisors whose supervisees were exposed to student suicide. We found five themes: prioritizing emotional support, suicide self-efficacy, supervisors’ reaction to suicide, identifying systemic issues in schools, and school counseling professional identity issues. Implications for counselor educators and supervisors are discussed.

Public Significance Statement

This study advances the idea that school counselor supervisors need specific training to help them address their supervisees needs during a student suicide event. It also suggests that school counselors need more opportunities to receive clinical supervision.

Recommended Citation

Becnel, Alexander T. and Pistorius, Joseph W. (2025) "Supervising School Counselors through Student Suicide," Teaching and Supervision in Counseling: Vol. 7 : Iss. 3 , Article 8.
https://doi.org/10.7290/tsc07aqdi
Available at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/tsc/vol7/iss3/8