Field supervisors' feelings and concerns at the termination of the supervisory relationship

This study deals with the neglected subject of the feelings and concerns of field supervisors at the termination of the supervisory relationship. Analysis of the written responses of 55 field supervisors to three open ended questions reveals a mixture of coexistent feelings: satisfaction, fulfillment and pride, along with relief, sadness, and/or frustration. It shows that the supervisors' most prevalent concern was with whether they were good supervisors, and that only half of them related to professional issues involved in the termination. About half reported being left with feelings of gratification; others wrote of being left with the sense that they had not accomplished what they would have liked to. Beyond the specific findings, the study's main contribution is the light it sheds on supervisors' perspectives on the experience of field supervision as a whole. Recommendations for practice and research are made.