Mentoring support from clinical supervisors: Mentor motives and associations with counselor work-to-nonwork conflict

Based on mentoring theory, social exchange theory, and theories of stress and coping, this study examined antecedents and consequences of the provision of mentoring support by clinical supervisors. Of particular interest is how the provision of mentoring support is further linked to counselor's experience of work-to-nonwork conflict. Survey data were collected in person in 2008 from 418 matched clinical supervisor–counselor dyads who worked in substance use disorder treatment programs across the U.S. Path analysis showed that clinical supervisors' evaluation of relational costs, relational benefits, and overall relationship quality with a particular counselor was related to the counselor's perception of the amount of mentoring support provided. In turn, perceived mentoring support was negatively related to both strain-based and time-based work-to-nonwork conflict among counselors. These findings suggest that counselors and clinical supervisors should be encouraged to build positive social exchanges to help reduce perceptions of counselor work-to-nonwork conflict.