Supervision feedback as a factor shaping well-being: The mediating role of self-efficacy

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of supervisory feedback received by counselor candidates during the supervision process on their well-being, and to investigate the mediating role of counseling self-efficacy in this relationship. Supporting the personal and professional development of counselor candidates is closely related to the quality of effective feedback provided during supervision. Regular observations and constructive feedback from supervisors contribute to the development of candidates' perceptions of professional competence, which in turn may positively influence their well-being. In this study, the relationships among candidates' perceptions of supervision, levels of counselor self-efficacy, and well-being were examined. The study was conducted with a total of 160 counselor candidates (129 female, 31 male) who were enrolled in the Individual Psychological Counseling Practice course during the 2024-2025 academic year. Data were collected using the "PERMA Well-Being Scale," the "Counseling Self-Efficacy Scale (CSES)," and the "Effective Supervisor Feedback Scale (ESFS)." To examine the effects of supervisory feedback and counselor self-efficacy levels on well-being, multiple regression analysis was conducted. The results showed that both counselor self-efficacy and supervisory feedback had significant effects on well-being. In the mediation model, counselor self-efficacy was found to play a partial mediating role in the relationship between effective supervisory feedback and well-being. The regression-based mediation analysis was carried out using PROCESS macro (Model 4) in SPSS 26, with 5,000 bootstrap samples and a 95% confidence interval used to test the significance of the indirect effect. The analysis revealed that the total effect of effective supervisory feedback on well-being was significant (B = 1.066, p < .001). When counseling self-efficacy was controlled for, the direct effect remained significant (B = 0.694, p < .01), and the indirect effect through self-efficacy was also significant (B = 0.372, 95% CI [0.104, 0.764]). These results indicate that effective feedback received during the supervision process contributes to well-being not only directly, but also indirectly by enhancing counselor candidates' self-efficacy. Keywords: Well-being, supervision, feedback, counselor self-efficacy