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Article 3

The Advanced Use of Technology to Enhance Personal and Professional Growth During the Supervision Process for Graduate Students in Counselor Education Programs

Reshelle C. Marino, Laura J. Fazio-Griffith, June M. Williams, Josette C. David, and Aliah N. Esmaeili

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An Overview of Clinical Supervision

Clinical supervision at the master’s level is a significant factor and critical component in the professional training and development of professional counselors (Bernard & Goodyear, 2013; Borders, 2005; Fernando & Hulse-Killacky, 2005; Gazzola & Theriault, 2007; Nelson & Johnson, 1999). A variety of supervision strategies, models, and techniques are summarized in the literature and are proven to be an imperative component for the development of trainees as professional counselors (Bernard & Goodyear, 2013; Nelson, Johnson, & Thorngren, 2000; Neufeldt, 2007). These strategies, models, and techniques focus on areas essential to the supervision process and trainees’ professional and personal development through providing constructive feedback of clients’ sessions.

Bernard and Goodyear (2013) defined supervision as:

an intervention provided by a more senior member of a profession to a more junior member or members of that same profession. This relationship is evaluative, extends over time, and has the simultaneous purposes of enhancing the professional functioning of the more junior person(s), monitoring the quality of professional services offered to the clients that she, he or they see, and serving as a gatekeeper for those who are to enter the particular profession. (p. 8)

Supervision can be classified as an intervention in conjunction with teaching, psychotherapy, and consultation. Although these concepts tend to overlap, there are substantial differences. Interventions provided by the supervisor need to be objective, concrete, and developmentally appropriate for the trainee. Supervision is based on the belief that some type of learning occurs in supervision that is qualitatively different from what occurs in the classroom. Supervised experience provides meaningful learning, a diversity of experience, and an opportunity to put classroom learning into practice (Haag- Granello & Young, 2012).

The goal of supervision is to ensure that no harm occurs and that useful and appropriate treatment is provided to the client (Milliren, Clemmer, & Wingett, 2006). A vast array of literature supports the contention that supervision is the main conduit for counseling trainees to develop a professional identity and personal growth (e.g., Devlin, Smith, & Ward, 2009; Dollarhide & Miller, 2006; du Preez & Roos, 2008; Gibson, Dollarhide, & Moss, 2010; Harris, 2009; Henderson, Cook, Libby, & Zambrano, 2007; Ladany & Bradley, 2010; Lawson, Hein, & Stuart, 2009; Nelson & Jackson, 2003; Studer, 2006). The clinical supervisor is responsible for protecting the client’s welfare, teaching clinical conceptualization and counseling skills, fostering trainee self-awareness, and evaluating the trainee. Therefore, the supervision process, especially in professional counselor training programs, is central to trainees’ development (Lawson et al., 2009).

Bernard and Goodyear (2013) have researched and written about several supervision models. These models include different theories and approaches to the supervision process. Some of the models operate from developmental constructs, integrative approaches, social roles, and psychotherapy theoretical orientations. Ladany and Bradley (2010) identified behavioral models, integrative models, systems models, and person-process models of supervision, while Britton, Goodman, and Rak (2002) developed a didactic-theoretical-experiential model of supervision training to be used in a workshop format. Milliren et al. (2006) discussed supervision in the style of Alfred Adler, whereby trainees meaningfully reconstruct counseling experiences so that problem-solving interventions can be generated, and strengths can be encouraged. Of these, two of the most used models of supervision are Loganbill, Hardy, and Delworth’s (1982) developmental model and Bernard’s (2013) discrimination model. A brief overview of each of these follows.

Most counselor educators view their role as fostering and enhancing the development of future professional counselors. Thus, it is not surprising that many clinical supervisors use a developmental perspective to conceptualize the supervision process, focusing on how trainees change and grow as they gain training and supervised experience. Loganbill et al. (1982) were the first to publish a comprehensive model of developmental supervision. This model’s focus is on three developmental stages and eight supervisory issues that may occur during the process of supervision depending on the developmental stage of the trainee. Loganbill et al. formerly provided five supervisor interventions to assist the trainee in moving though these developmental stages and issues.

Another frequently used model of supervision is Bernard’s (2013) discrimination model. Bernard’s integrative model attends to three separate foci for supervision including three supervisor roles. The foci during the supervision process consist of intervention, conceptualization, and personalization. The roles for the supervisor are teacher, consultant, and counselor. The goal of this model is that supervisors will tailor their responses to the particular trainee’s needs. Meaning, the supervisor’s roles and foci should change not only across sessions, but also within sessions (Bernard & Goodyear, 2013). Supervisors utilizing the discrimination model will spend a great amount of time in the role of teacher. This role calls for a high level of support and direction from the supervisor to the trainee (Hart & Nance, 2003). As supervisors, specifically university supervisors, consider the need to direct and support trainees, the use of advanced technology could prove to be extremely beneficial during the supervision process.

According to Bernard and Goodyear (2013), “The supervisory relationship is a product of the uniqueness of two individuals, embedded within the process of supervision and modified by the demands of the various contexts within which supervision occurs” (p.101). The aforementioned supervision models can be linked to effective supervisory interventions for supervisors and trainees; however, none of these models examines how the integration of advanced technology can enhance the effectiveness of the supervision process. For Bernard and Goodyear, the context within which supervision occurs can change. So, it is imperative that advanced technology for supervision be introduced to allow for the ever-changing context in which the supervision process becomes so crucial for trainees’ growth and development as future professional counselors.

Infusing Technology in Counseling Training Programs

Despite the plethora of empirical evidence supporting supervision as a necessary component for the professional identity development and personal growth of professional counselors, research is lacking with regard to the best educational format in which to teach counseling skills in supervision (Koltz & Feit, 2012). Additionally, a study conducted by Ellis, Berger, Hanus, Ayala, Swords, and Siembor (2014), found that over 50% of trainees had received inadequate or harmful supervision. One of the ways in which supervisors can increase the effectiveness of supervision is to incorporate technology as a way to facilitate the process.

Currently technology is ubiquitous. In fact, the American Counseling Association (ACA) has updated their code of ethics to address the use of technology in counseling practice (2014). Professional counselors can begin to view technological advances as an impetus for potentially finding new ways to enhance traditional counseling practices. Perhaps due to the emphasis on face-to-face interaction and the nature of the professional counseling relationship, the counseling professional has been historically slow in incorporating the use of technology. A recent study found that only 5.1% of professional school counselors considered using technology-mediated supervision, such as e-mail, instant messaging, chat, and audiovisual technology (Perera-Diltz & Mason, 2012). Most importantly, professional counselors should meet the legal and ethical requirements associated with the use of technology in counseling practices (ACA, 2014).

Although professional counseling as a profession may be a slow adopter of integrating technology, most supervisors have incorporated basic technology into the supervision process. The process of viewing client videos has evolved over the years beginning with audiotapes, videotapes, DVDs, and now, digital recordings. Supervisors have recognized that viewing counseling students in action and having counseling students view themselves in action both provide an effective way to facilitate the integration of the self into the learning process (Moody, Kostohryz, & Vereen, 2014). The use of video recording in professional counseling programs has proven to be extremely beneficial for students, professors, and supervisors.

Recognizing the benefits of technology, the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP; 2009) requires programs to demonstrate evidence of the integration of technology throughout the curriculum. The use of technology in supervision is one aspect of this; however, students, faculty, and supervisors need to have a familiarity with technology in general so that they can most effectively implement technology in supervision. Without previous knowledge of technology, online technology, and camera functions, many students and supervisors would be less skilled in providing technological support for one another in their professional counseling program. Chapman, Baker, Nassar-McMillan, and Gerler (2011) posed similar views in that they posited supervisors and supervisees alike should have previous exposure to online learning or have an orientation to outline learning mechanics of technology prior to utilizing it as a catalyst for growth. At some universities, students enrolled in practicum and internship have effectively implemented the use of technology with the help of their supervisors and their basic understanding of technology.

In addition to using audio and video tapes to record and review students’ sessions, many supervisors have also incorporated technology related to the format of supervision, allowing for supervision to occur in other ways besides simply face-to-face supervision. This does not necessarily replace face-to-face supervision, but provides for flexibility and can help to enhance the supervision process. Some examples of cybersupervision modalities of synchronous (e.g., real-time communication such as camera communication, Skype, live chats, etc.) and asynchronous (e.g., delayed time communication such as e-mails, and discussion boards) methods have been effectively incorporated into professional counselor education programs (Chapman et al., 2011).

Specific software programs can also be used in professional counseling graduate programs. The Centra software has been noted as a secure network for online supervision, and can be used for up to six students on a conference screen along with the digital recording of a client interview (Byrne & Hartley, 2010). With this particular software program, students can play their video recordings during their online group supervision and receive feedback from their classmates and supervisor. Another software program that is sometimes used is the Digital Rapids Software, which is used to save recordings on a password-protected server. With this software, the recordings can be viewed at any time with a password/ID and from anywhere so the faculty members can provide accessible, timely, and responsive feedback for their students. This eliminates the chance of tapes/DVDs being lost, which can pose a potential threat to confidentiality (Byrne & Hartley, 2010).

Another benefit of the integration of technology is that students who are not enrolled in their practicum or internship classes can hone their clinical and reflective skills. In many counseling classes, the technique of role-playing is implemented. Pairing video recording and role-playing activities can greatly benefit those students that are just beginning their journey as counseling students. Walter and Thanasiu (2011) researched the use of portable, pocket-sized camcorders in counseling graduate level courses. Their product was noted as being more affordable, being easily portable, having an attached USB port included, easy to navigate with clear video quality, and including image stabilization. They suggested that the camcorders could be used in techniques, ethics, assessment, and theories counseling courses as a mechanism for efficient counseling education for graduate students.

In addition, it has been suggested that video podcasts and a virtual reality program in which students interact are two possible options for professional counseling programs to use as educational tools for counseling students (Renfro-Michel, O’Halloran, & Delaney, 2010). Those aforementioned options were used as supplemental learning tools with classes that were facilitated online and traditional face-to-face. Their study found that students enrolled in online courses using podcasts and the virtual reality world had higher grades overall compared to the students in a traditional class (Renfro-Michel et al., 2010). It was noted that all students who participated in this study had equal knowledge of technology. The results suggest that it is apparent how the use of technology can enhance the knowledge of students, which in turn could advance their overall academic performance. The authors concluded that using technology with adult learners is an effective teaching modality, especially if that technology gives students more control over their learning and helps them use a variety of learning styles.

Video journaling is another referenced approach to utilizing technology in graduate programs. Parikh, Janson, and Singleton (2012) studied students’ experiences with creating reflective video journals during their first semester of internship. Students discussed their apprehension and challenges of viewing themselves on camera and hearing their responses to their clients. Although many students felt the nervous energy of videotaping themselves, they all agreed on how much of a positive impact the technology had on their self-growth as professional counselors. While video technology is useful for the individual learner, it is a great tool for group counseling classes as well, especially those students enrolled in practicum and internship. Through the use of technology, students can gain insight into their own skills and self-development and focus on their areas of growth. Furthermore, the use of technology is highly supported and recommended in the use of counseling and supervision (Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, 1990; Louisiana Licensed Professional Counselors Board of Examiners, 2014; National Board for Certified Counselors [NBCC], 2012). In light of the research, the use of current technology has implications for students’ future success as professional counselors.

Benefits of Incorporating Advanced Technology in Supervision

Currently, the use of technology in clinical supervision is mostly limited to enhancing playback (e.g., digital cameras, Webcams) of student sessions or to provide flexibility in the delivery of supervision (e.g., Skype, software that allows for distance supervision). While the aforementioned technology tools have been noted to be effective in supervision, there are advanced technologies available that are capable of enhancing the supervision process. Such advanced technology allows supervision to go deeper than simply reviewing and discussing student’s sessions by providing software that allows students and supervisors to engage in a thoughtful review of student clinical skills and case conceptualization.

One such software system, Landro Play Analyzer (IRIS Technologies, 2006), allows faculty supervisors to monitor and record live video sessions of students in practice and reduces video segment access time down to seconds. The system's unique cataloguing and playback technology is expected to improve practitioner and student memory and recall, while enabling performance analysis through rapid video search and review (Salandro, Dandeneau, & Guth, 2006). Furthermore, Landro could benefit the university's research process by providing more accurate and efficient access to clinical data and video examples, allowing supervisors to provide faster corrective measures for treatment and student training (Salandro et al., 2006). Some counselor educators (Dandeneau & Guth, 2005) suggested that Landro allows supervisors and graduate students to randomly access previously recorded playback segments to study technique and develop skills. This method has been suggested to be more effective than using videotapes, DVDs or digital video files that cannot be indexed and accessed by what they are studying in the classroom (Salandro et al., 2006).

Scanning through a video takes an unreasonable amount of time out of the clinical supervision meeting. This process tends to be slow and cumbersome, as the viewer has to fast forward or rewind through large amounts of recorded content to find the exact situation to be analyzed or reviewed (Dandeneau & Guth, 2005). As evidenced by technological advances, the current recording and supervision process used at most universities is considered outdated. In addition to faculty using the technology to develop training material, utilizing this technology for the required 700 field experience hours could greatly enhance the experience for graduate students and contribute to their becoming competent and competitive in today’s workforce.

According to Salandro et. al (2006), students typically retain only 3% of what they are taught in traditional lecture formats. However, he suggested that memory and recall climbs to 70% when visual aids, such as presentations and video, are incorporated into the teaching format. These benefits are further magnified when supervising graduate and internship students who are required to log hundreds of hours of field experience to develop and refine their individual performance techniques. Furthermore, Salandro et al. (2006) stated that when used for research evaluation and analysis, videotapes and DVDs have proven to be inefficient for gauging student or client progress because endless linear rewinding and searching through footage has rendered this process cumbersome and time-consuming, taking away valuable time from instruction and skills development.

The ultimate goal of implementing the Landro technology is to cultivate a more effective and efficient counseling environment that supports the development of talent, provides a reliable and valuable learning environment, and enhances the counseling experiences of clients. Landro can help us enrich the experiences of students by expanding the scope and depth of the services available in the counseling profession, equipping them to succeed in an increasingly competitive world. (J. Salandro, personal communication, August 18, 2014).

Approximately 10 years ago, the Indiana University of Pennsylvania implemented Landro Play Analyzer technology into their counselor education program. They suggested that the “Landro Play Analyzer technology allows the student to break down their recorded sessions by inserting clip marks, allowing them to identify the type of response, and include the theoretical basis for the response and its effectiveness” (Dandeneau & Guth, 2005). They further suggested that “After the responses are coded, they can be easily searched and retrieved with the touch of a button. Thus, supervisors have convenient and immediate access to any coded clip marks and can tailor individual and group supervision session to specific supervisee goals” (2005, p. 27). Landro Play (IRIS Technologies, 2006) analysis empowers professional counselors and supervisors to derive more value from their sessions and mitigates the memory and accelerates recall, cultivating in a drastic improvement of counselor services and the attainment of student objectives (Dandeneau & Guth, 2005). In addition, Landro Play Analyzer (IRIS Technologies, 2006) technology allows counselor educators to store taped and coded sessions and replay them over and over again in techniques courses to demonstrate specific skills.

Play Analyzertechnology (IRIS Technologies, 2006) will allow graduate students the opportunity to utilize advanced technology to analyze their client sessions, receive supervision in a timely and efficient manner, and ultimately build their professional counseling skills through the use of video examples provided by their supervisors in training courses. The Play Analyzertechnology (IRIS Technologies, 2006) will afford students the ability to tag or code segments with appropriate counseling skills and to select portions requiring feedback from supervisors. In turn, supervisors will be able to review the analyzed sessions and comment on their perceptions of skill development in a much more efficient manner than is possible without the use of the software. In addition, the analyzed videos can be utilized for training purposes in several techniques courses. However, the aforementioned benefits of the Play Analyzertechnology have not been widely realized in the university setting for supervising counseling students (IRIS Technologies, 2006).

Implications for Counselor Education

The literature suggests that counselor educators are not competent in infusing technology into professional counseling curriculums (Berry, Srebalus, Cromer, & Takacs, 2003; Karper, Robinson, & Casado, 2005; Lewis, Coursol, Kahn, & Wilson, 2000). Increased competence in the use of technology can be increased and utilized in a manner that aligns with the best practice procedures and ethical standards for the use of technology in counseling by professional associations (American Counseling Association, 2005; CACREP, 2009 NBCC, 2012 to enhance student development. It is imperative that we begin to have a paradigm shift (Dandeneau & Guth, 2005) to realize the importance, benefits, rigor, and relevance of the use of digital technology as a new practice for more efficient and effective clinical supervision that some universities are already implementing into their curriculums. Furthermore, it is imperative that school counseling graduate students gain exposure to the advanced use of technology so they can infuse technology into the academic, career, and social/ emotional components of the comprehensive school counseling programs they create for students in the schools they will work within as professional school counselors. Technology is now pervasive in K– 12 schools. Without counselor educators’ competence, their students may find themselves less able to meet the technology demands in their jobs (Buono, Uellendahl, Guth, & Dandeneau, 2011).

Most counseling programs do not utilize advanced technology such as the play analyzer software, and could greatly benefit from including this relevant and seemingly important component into the curriculum. With the current trends in education moving towards online models and massive open online courses (MOOCS), it is essential that faculty members join the worldwide phenomena of technological movement (J. Crain, personal communication, August 20, 2013) by implementing the beginning steps outlined in this paper. As Dandeneau and Guth (2005) wrote,

Educators have the seemingly overwhelming task of analyzing complex psychological problems, which are of concern for teaching counselors and treating clients; therefore, clinicians need modern visual analysis tools to speed up the process of learning and to help clients become better, sooner in their treatment. (p. 27)

Faculty members could engage in course development by making the necessary pedagogical modifications to integrate this new technology into the class curriculum (Dandeneau & Guth, 2005). These efforts will support the current paradigm shift in higher education related to the manner in which information is taught to students. The technology can also generalize to benefitting school counselor supervisors, mental health supervisors, and marriage, couples, and family therapy supervisors in the community. Hence, better-trained students will then provide better service to students and clients, and in turn, benefit the overall community.

Implementing a Play Analyzer software system into counseling programs could have both short-term and long-term benefits contributing to the promotion of economic development. For instance, most school counselor interns complete their entire field experience in one school setting. Therefore, they are afforded with only one population and one school setting and climate to contribute to their practical learning experience. A benefit of the Play Analyzer program would be to offer mock counseling sessions as a teaching tool for all students within the classroom so they can be exposed to a wider variety of populations, school settings, and challenges inherent within a school population.

Bernard and Goodyear (2013) surmised that technological capacity has and will continue to affect clinical supervision. Since counselor educators, supervisors, and professional counselors are clearly moving in the direction of greater use of technology (Bernard & Goodyear, 2013), it is beneficial to enhance graduate counseling programs by advancing the current use of technology to maximize time in supervision sessions for teaching and learning to occur at its fullest potential. We propose that the incorporation of an advanced technology software system, such as the Landro play analyzer system, will greatly enhance the learning process in supervision, providing for an efficiency and depth that will significantly impact both the professional and personal growth of professional counselors-in-training.