A Study of the Relationship between Supervisor and Trainee Behaviors in Counseling Practicum

The goal of this study was to identify relationships among the counseling behaviors of practicum trainees and the supervision behaviors of their supervisors during a one‐semester counseling practicum. Trained judges rated the following variables from audiotapes: trainee and supervisor empathy, various trainee and supervisor verbal behavior patterns, and five trainee competencies. Comparisons were made between performances at the beginning and end of the term. Trainees improved on two of five competencies but did not improve on empathy, nor did their verbal behavior patterns change. Empathy levels of the supervisors had no apparent effect on the trainees.