The Relationship between Attachment Styles, Supervisory Styles and Supervision Satisfaction Among Trainee Counsellors
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UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA SARAWAK
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This research examined the relationship between attachment styles, supervisory styles, and supervision satisfaction among trainee counsellors in Malaysia. Grounded in Attachment Theory (Bowlby, 1969; Ainsworth, 1978) and Holloway’s Systems Approach to Supervision (SAS) Model (1995), the study explored how individual relational tendencies and supervisor behaviours influence trainee perceptions of supervision. A total of 155 counselling trainees from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), Universiti Malaya (UM), and Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) participated through convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Revised Adult Attachment Scale (RAAS), Supervisory Styles Inventory (SSI), and Supervision Satisfaction Questionnaire (SSQ). Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression. The results showed no statistically significant correlations between the attachment subscales Close (r = .149, p > .05), Depend (r = .145, p > .05), and Anxiety (r = –.099, p > .05) and supervision satisfaction. Regression analysis also confirmed that attachment styles did not significantly predict supervision satisfaction F (3, 151) = 2.405, p = .070, although the Close subscale was a weak individual predictor (β = .173, p = .046). In contrast, all supervisory style subscales showed significant positive correlations with supervision satisfaction: Attractive (r = .621, p < .001), Interpersonally Sensitive (r = .600, p < .001), and Task-Oriented (r = .493, p < .001). Regression results indicated that the Attractive (β = .389, p < .001) and Interpersonally Sensitive (β = .228, p = .016) styles were significant predictors of supervision satisfaction. The findings suggest that supervisory behaviours, particularly those involving warmth, empathy, and interpersonal sensitivity, have a stronger impact on trainee satisfaction than internal relational traits. Theoretically, this challenges the predictive role of Attachment Theory in the Malaysian context while reinforcing the relevance of Holloway’s SAS model. Practically, the study highlights the need to prioritize relational competence and culturally responsive supervision training in Malaysian counselling programs.