Therapeutic alliance and attachment in counselor candidates

This study aims to investigate the extent to which psychological counseling candidates' attachment styles and the therapeutic alliance they established with their supervisors predicted the therapeutic alliance they built with their clients. The study using the relational survey model was conducted on 361 senior counseling candidates from 7 state universities who held at least 3 counseling sessions and received supervision. The data collection tools used in the study were a Personal Information Form; the Therapeutic Alliance Scale: Psychological Counselor Form; the Scale of Attachment Styles in Interpersonal Relations; and the Working Alliance Inventory/Supervision: Counselor Form. The hypotheses of the study were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient and Multiple Linear Regression analysis. According to the findings of the study, it was found that the secure attachment styles of counseling candidates predicted the client's therapeutic alliance in a positive and significant way. While the anxious-ambivalent attachment style did not significantly predict the goal and task subscales of the client therapeutic alliance, it significantly predicted the total score and bond subscale of the client therapeutic alliance. The avoidant attachment style only significantly predicted the bond subscale of the client therapeutic alliance. It was concluded that the supervisory therapeutic alliance that was formed by counselors with their supervisors was a significant and positive predictor of the goal, task and bond subscales of client therapeutic alliance and the total score of client therapeutic alliance. The findings were discussed in line with previous researches. In the last section of the study, recommendations for the counselors, researchers and supervisors were made within the scope of the findings of the study. Keywords: Counselor-Client Therapeutic Alliance, Attachment Styles, Supervisory Therapeutic Alliance