The Predictive Nature of Anxiety, Adult Attachment, and Counseling Experience on Counseling Self-Efficacy

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop a model of counseling self-efficacy, including models for areas of counseling self-efficacy (i.e., helping skills, sessions management, and counseling challenges) using counseling experience, general anxiety, and adult attachment factors of attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance as predictor variables. One hundred and eleven participants’ responses were analyzed to determine a model of counseling self-efficacy. Participants represented various counseling master’s programs (i.e., clinical mental health counseling, school counseling, career counseling, etc.), counselor education and supervision doctoral students, and practicing counselors. Results revealed that counseling experience and general anxiety were found to significantly predict overall counseling self-efficacy, while attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance were not found to significantly predict counseling self-efficacy. A post hoc analysis to develop a model of general anxiety for the sample was conducted. Attachment anxiety significantly predicted general anxiety in the sample. Implications for increased awareness of anxiety in counselor trainees and practicing counselors is discussed.