Exploring social work supervision with students and practitioners: the associations between attachment dimensions and professional development

The exploratory research examines the intersection of attachment dimensions and supervision experiences with professional development and the difficulties faced during social work practice, comparing social work students with professional social work practitioners. The sample comprised 174 participants: 95 social work students and 79 professionals. Participants completed questionnaires assessing attachment dimensions, supervision experience, professional development, and difficulties in practice. Findings revealed that attachment anxiety correlated with less professional development and with greater difficulties in practice for both groups. Different moderation effects were found between the groups: While among highly anxious social work practitioners, satisfaction with supervision contributed to greater professional development, among highly anxious students, the effect was the opposite—those who reported lower satisfaction with supervision experienced greater professional development. Effective supervision plays a vital role in moderating the challenges associated with attachment anxiety in social-work practice. The study underscores the necessity of adaptive supervisory approaches sensitive to the developmental stage and attachment characteristics of the specific social worker’s needs. Tailored supervision can significantly enhance professional growth and reduce practice difficulties, emphasizing the importance of this support mechanism in social-work education and ongoing professional development.