Abstract

The current study aimed to explore the gatekeeping process implemented by counseling supervisors when faced with supervisees exhibiting problematic behaviors. Interviews with 11 supervisors were conducted and analyzed using grounded theory methods. The analysis revealed that supervisors often experienced confusion about their gatekeeper role, stemming from a lack of clear authority on the matter. Despite this confusion, supervisors engaged in their gatekeeper responsibilities to protect clients and ensure the development of competent counselors. This process included progression through four stages: analysis stage, counteraction stage, associative remediation stage, and final restriction stage. The core concept emerging from the findings is the “recognition of one’s duties and dedication as a counseling professional to foster other counselors despite confusion about the gatekeeper role exacerbated by environmental and institutional constraints.” Based on these findings, implications for the counseling field in Korea were discussed, along with limitations of the study and implications for future research.