A Supervisor’s Role in Helping Counselors-in-Training Manage Anxiety

Given the intricacies of the counseling process, graduate students in Counselor Education programs often experience performance anxiety during their early professional experiences in practicum and internship and as they transition into the counseling profession. Having a strong working relationship with a supervisor is the most effective intervention in increasing counselor self-efficacy, which can drastically decrease anxiety (Meola, 2017).

“Supervisors play a critical role in guiding students toward practices that prevent burnout,” says Eliana Fisher, NCC, LMHC, LPC, professional counselor and owner of Carriage Lane Therapy in Easton, Pennsylvania. “One of the most important strategies is emphasizing self-care—not just in theory, but in action.”

For successfully navigating counselor education clinical experiences, Fisher highlights the SEEDS (Socialize, Exercise, Education, Diet, Sleep) model, a self-care framework developed by John Arden, PhD, for supervisors to share with their students. Each component contributes to emotional resilience and helps maintain mental wellness.

In addition to regular consultations with their supervisor, Fisher recommends counseling students communicate regularly with colleagues and peers. Supervisors can foster these relationships as a means to promote their professional growth and create a space to process shared experiences.

Recent research from The Professional Counselor (Watkinson et al., 2021) reveals that although a counseling student’s anxiety often stems from issues of competence and perfectionism, it can also result from the pressure associated with their supervisor’s evaluations. Their need for external validation can create a dependence on their supervisor’s appraisal.

In such situations, Fisher notes the importance for students to advocate for themselves. Ask supervisors for support in specific areas—whether that’s helping develop routines for administrative work, processing difficult client interactions, or finding resources for personal wellness. If ample and appropriate support is not received, they shouldn’t be afraid to reevaluate their supervisory relationship.

“Supportive supervision is crucial for professional development and emotional safety. When that support is missing, seeking peer consultation is a helpful interim solution, but finding a new supervisor may be necessary to continue growing in a healthy and supported environment,” offers Fisher.

Mindfulness can be a useful tool, too. As counselor educators with experience supervising school counseling practicum students, Watkinson et al. (2021) recommend mindfulness exercises as a central approach to anxiety associated with the counselor developmental process.

In a study published in the Journal of Rehabilitation on managing anxiety in clinical supervision, the authors identified three types of anxiety: anticipatory, approval, and dominance (Kuo et al., 2016).

Anticipatory anxiety can occur when an individual anticipates something negative happening, or equally, when they expect a positive outcome but are left disappointed.

Approval anxiety can result from the fervent desire of supervisees to be lauded and accepted by their supervisors, as highlighted in Watkinson et al.’s research in The Professional Counselor (2021).

Dominance anxiety is a response to authority. In the supervisory relationship, a hierarchical structure is natural. However, if not used appropriately, it can be a source of anxiety. Supervisors should focus on facilitating the learning process and clinical practices essential to effective supervision, not use forcible power to control their students.

It’s common for counseling students to feel responsible for the outcomes, whether good or bad, of their clients’ lives. This mindset can increase anxiety and create unrealistic expectations. Fisher finds it imperative for supervisors to reiterate that while counselors can offer guidance and support, they are not accountable for the decisions clients make.

It’s natural for counselors to experience anxiety. The goal isn’t to eliminate a student’s anxiety entirely, according to Fisher, but to make them aware of how it can present in their clinical work. Helping increase their self-awareness and self-efficacy are the keys to ensuring counseling students engage in their professional practice with confidence and connect with their clients effectively.  

Eliana Fisher, NCC, LMHC, LPC, earned her master’s degree in clinical psychology with a specialization in child and family psychology from Roosevelt University in Chicago. She currently works with children, adults, and parents in Pennsylvania, Washington, and Georgia through her own practice, Carriage Lane Therapy. She also collaborates with providers at the Pediatric NeuroBehavioral Center of Peachtree City, providing support to parents and children following their neuropsychological assessment. Previously, Fisher worked for the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Chicago and as a behavioral health provider for CHAS Health in Spokane, where she provided training to newer and associate level clinicians working toward licensure.

Kuo, H. -J., Landon, T. J., Connor, A., & Chen, R. K. (2016). Managing anxiety in clinical supervision. Journal of Rehabilitation, 82(3), 18–27.

Meola, C. C. (ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, East Carolina University. 2017). The effects of an equine assisted learning supervision intervention on counselors'-in-training performance anxiety, counseling self-efficacy, and supervisory working alliance. [Doctoral dissertation, East Caolina University]. https://thescholarship.ecu.edu/bitstreams/836d3359-f2eb-43a1-b1d5-508a73a8cb87/download

Watkinson, J. S., Cicero, G., & Burton, E. (2021). Addressing anxiety: Practitioners’ examination of mindfulness in constructivist supervision. The Professional Counselor, 11(4), 459–474.

**Opinions and thoughts expressed in NBCC Visions Newsletter articles belong to the interviewees and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or practices of NBCC and Affiliates.