Training Level, Acculturation, Role Ambiguity, and Multicultural Discussions in Training and Supervising International Counseling Students in the United States

This research partially replicated Nilsson and Anderson’s Professional Psychology: Research and Practice (2004) study on training and supervising international students. It investigated the relationships among international counseling
students’ training level, acculturation, supervisory working alliance (SWA), counseling self-efficacy (COSE), role ambiguity
(RA) and multicultural discussion (MD) in supervision. In the present study (N = 71), two acculturation variables and RA predicted SWA. SWA and MD did not predict COSE, while language use in acculturation
did. Training level differences were only associated with COSE. Findings indicate that supervisors should attend to role ambiguity
and multicultural issues when supervising international students, including acculturation issues and their impact on students’
performance. Results are discussed against Nilsson and Anderson’s original study and the implications for supervision of international
counseling students.