Date of Award

Summer 2026

Language

English

Embargo Period

4-20-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College/School/Department

Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology

Program

Counseling Psychology

First Advisor

Hung-Bin Sheu

Committee Members

Susan Phillips, Robert Lent

Keywords

relational efficacy, social cognitive career theory, training, supervision, counseling self-efficacy, career interests

Subject Categories

Counseling Psychology

Abstract

Master's level counseling trainees have condensed training periods before making career-related decisions and are often placed in settings with high rates of burnout and turnover. Supervision has been shown to be a protective factor for burnout and has the potential to be a source of self-efficacy, which has been linked with career-related outcomes like occupational interests and goals (Lent et al., 2018; O’Connor et al., 2018). Moreover, within the context of close relationships, like supervision, efficacy beliefs are believed to be shaped by a network of beliefs, including relation-inferred self-efficacy, self-efficacy, and other-efficacy (Lent & Lopez, 2002). The current study is the first to propose and explore a model of how the relational-efficacy model within the context of clinical supervision affects master-level trainees’ counseling-related interests and goals. A total of 220 master’s trainees enrolled in CACREP, COAMFTE, CSWE, and MPCAC-accredited counseling programs completed an online survey. Latent structural equation modeling was used to test a moderated-mediational model. The results of model testing indicated that the model demonstrated an excellent fit to the data. Notably, RISE was identified as a mechanism through which the supervisory working alliance fosters the development of counseling self-efficacy. Consistent with the interest and choice model of social cognitive career theory (Lent et al., 1994), interests served as the mechanism through which counseling outcome expectations predicted counseling goals. Contrary to what was hypothesized, other-efficacy did not serve as a moderator. The current study offers practical training implications for supporting the development of master’s level trainees in the building of their self-efficacy and fostering of their counseling-related interests and goals.

License

This work is licensed under the University at Albany Standard Author Agreement.

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