The term parallel process commonly refers to the dynamics in the supervisory relationship that replicate those that the counselor experiences in the clinical relationship. The value of recognizing such parallels is the potential insight the counselor gains by becoming aware of how he or she is expressing the patient’s problem in supervision. This dynamic, however, can be bi-directional.

Parallels between supervisory relationships and counseling relationships are common. Both relationships mutually influence each other and comprise the context in which change occurs. The bi-directional nature of the supervisory relationship, like that of the counseling relationship, exerts a significant influence on the quality and course of the supervisory alliance. In a study that measured the relevance of the supervisory alliance to that of the counseling relationship, Patton and Kivlighan (1997) found that a strong working alliance in supervision increases the supervisee’s comfort in supervision and is related to counseling performance.

There is also an isomorphic quality of the supervisory relationship whereby a parallel replication often occurs. This happens when the effective structures in the supervisory relationship are duplicated by the supervisee in the therapeutic relationship. An example is the working alliance in supervision. Characterized as a collaborative effort toward transformation, the bond between supervisor and supervisee is often replicated in the therapeutic relationship and becomes a significant factor in precipitating change.

Not surprisingly, emotional bonding has been shown to be a central component in the development of a strong supervisory working alliance (Ladany, Ellis, & Friedlander, 1999). In a study that examined complimentary communications in the formation of supervisory alliance, Chen and Bernstein (2000) found that emotional awareness was one of several factors that coincided with the development of a strong supervisory bond. The results of studies such as these indicate that as perceived levels of emotional bonding between supervisor and supervisee increase, satisfaction with supervision increases, and the supervisory alliance becomes stronger.

A strong supervisory alliance can lead to an increased level of self-efficacy for the counselor and, at times, is replicated for the patient. Defined as one’s belief about his or her capabilities in performing tasks, self-efficacy plays a significant role in effective functioning. In a study on the impact of the supervisory working alliance on counselor self-efficacy, Ladany et al. (1999) found that the strength of the working alliance between a supervisor and a counselor leads to increased counselor self-efficacy and greater satisfaction with supervision.

Albert Bandura (as cited in Ladany et al., 1999) suggested the following as the four major sources of self-efficacy:

1. performance accomplishments,
2. vicarious experiences,
3. verbal persuasion,
4. and emotional arousal.

These are experienced in supervision when the supervisor provides teaching and feedback (to strengthen performance), role-playing (to provide a vicarious experience), support and encouragement (as a form of verbal persuasion), and an emotional component in the supervisory relationship (emotional arousal).

The previously mentioned supervisory activities incorporate a hands-on approach to supervision that may include modeling, role-playing, and co-facilitating. Modeling has been seen as a compelling source of information that leads to increased self-efficacy (Larson et al., 1999). Due to the complexity of many counseling tasks, modeling diminishes their ambiguity and gives the counselor the encouragement and confidence for successful skill building. Modeling can also lead to a stronger supervisor-supervisee alliance, especially when a supervisor demonstrates collaboration.

Numerous factors contribute to the development of self-efficacy for counselors. One such factor, the supervisory relationship, is an environmental variable that can potentially have a significant impact on counselor self-efficacy, especially when it includes monitoring and the provision of feedback for counseling performance. When collaboration and a sense of alliance are strong, a collective efficacy within the supervisory dyad often occurs as a combined sense of confidence in the counselor’s progress. The capacity for fostering efficacious actions by patients is strengthened when counselor self-efficacy is nurtured within a strong supervisory bond. The supervisory alliance, therefore, is seen as a source of self-efficacy and when isomorphically replicated in the counselor’s clinical relationship, can be a significant factor in the promotion of self-efficacy for the patient.

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