Counselor training involves not only the acquisition of technical skills but also the development of internal psychological resources that support confidence and professional growth. Although counselor education has traditionally emphasized skills, growing evidence highlights the role of internal qualities such as emotional regulation and self-reflection in counselors’ effectiveness (Wampold & Owen, 2021). In this context, counseling self-efficacy (CSE), trainees’ beliefs in their ability to perform counseling tasks effectively, has emerged as a central construct in counselor education research (Larson, 1998). The Social Cognitive Model of Counselor Training (SCMCT) conceptualizes CSE as a dynamic belief system shaped by personal, behavioral, and environmental factors (Larson, 1998). According to this model, CSE develops through mastery experiences, modeling, social persuasion, and affective states, and higher CSE is associated with better counseling performance among trainees (Prasath et al., 2022).

The development of CSE may be especially challenging in training environments characterized by structural constraints. In Türkiye, counselor education programs typically offer relatively few practicum hours and large supervision groups, which may limit opportunities for mastery experiences and individualized feedback (Aladağ & Kemer, 2023). Such limitations may intensify emotional strain and uncertainty during early practicum experiences, underscoring the importance of internal psychological resources. Within this framework, mindfulness has been identified as a key internal factor linked to CSE. Defined as purposeful present-moment attention with acceptance (Brown & Ryan, 2003), mindfulness supports emotional regulation and reflective awareness in counselor trainees (Shapiro et al., 2014). Empirical evidence indicates a direct positive association between mindfulness and CSE, with more mindful trainees reporting higher CSE (Chan et al., 2021).

Beyond its direct effect, mindfulness may influence CSE through self-compassion and anxiety. Self-compassion, responding to difficulties with kindness rather than self-criticism, is closely linked to mindfulness, with higher mindfulness consistently associated with greater self-compassion (Aydin-Sünbül & Yerin-Güneri, 2019; Neff, 2003). In turn, self-compassion helps trainees tolerate mistakes and view challenges as part of their learning, thereby strengthening CSE. Anxiety is another key mechanism influencing CSE. Although some anxiety is normative in counselor training, poorly regulated anxiety undermines confidence and perceived competence, and higher anxiety is consistently linked to lower CSE (Al-Darmaki, 2005). Mindfulness and self-compassion act as protective factors by reducing anxiety through improved emotional regulation (De Souza et al., 2020).

Taken together, these findings suggest a sequential process in which mindfulness enhances self-compassion, which in turn reduces anxiety, ultimately contributing to stronger CSE. Building on SCMCT, the primary objective of this study is to examine a structural model that investigates the link between mindfulness and CSE among Turkish counselor trainees, specifically testing the serial mediating roles of self-compassion and anxiety. By integrating mindfulness, self-compassion, and anxiety within the SCMCT, the present study extends existing discussions on how affective and self-regulatory processes shape CSE. This perspective aligns with contemporary debates in counselor education that emphasize trainee well-being and sustainable professional development alongside skill acquisition.

The central research question guiding the inquiry is: “To what extent do self-compassion and anxiety serially mediate the relationship between mindfulness and CSE?” The study tested the following hypotheses:

H₁: Mindfulness significantly and positively predicts CSE.

H₂: Mindfulness significantly and positively predicts self-compassion.

H₃: Mindfulness significantly and negatively predicts anxiety.

H₄: Self-compassion significantly and negatively predicts anxiety.

H₅: Self-compassion significantly and positively predicts CSE.

H₆: Anxiety significantly and negatively predicts CSE.

H₇: Self-compassion mediates the link between mindfulness and CSE.

H₈: Anxiety mediates the relationship between mindfulness and CSE.

H₉: Self-compassion and anxiety serially mediate the relationship between mindfulness and CSE.

This study employed a correlational design to examine the relationships among mindfulness, self-compassion, anxiety, and counseling self-efficacy (CSE), as it sought to examine relationships between variables without any manipulation (Fraenkel et al., 2012). Specifically, the current study investigated direct and indirect links between mindfulness and CSE, as mediated by self-compassion and anxiety via structural equation modeling. After obtaining ethical approval, data were collected from a sample recruited by using a convenience sampling method. 301 counselor trainees participated in the study. The inclusion criteria were being a senior counselor student in the Guidance and Psychological Counseling Program and conducting counseling sessions with real clients during practicum courses. Participation was voluntary. All participants were provided with an informed consent form outlining the purpose of the study, confidentiality procedures, assurances of anonymity, and their rights as participants. Out of 301 participants, 206 were female (68.4%), and 95 were male (31.5%). Their age ranged from 21 to 38 (M = 23.55, SD = 1.29). The data were collected through four instruments: the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) (Brown & Ryan, 2003), the Self-Compassion Scale - Short Form (SCS-SF) (Raes et al., 2011), the Anxiety subscale of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS) (Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995), Counselor Activity Self-Efficacy Scales (CASES) (Lent et al., 2003), and a demographic information form, developed by researchers, asked for participants’ gender, age, university, number of counseling and supervision sessions. The construct validity and internal reliability of each scale were confirmed through Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Cronbach's alpha coefficients. Results revealed Cronbach's alpha value of .96 for MAAS, .86 for SCS-SF, .93 for the Anxiety subscale of DASS, and .97 for CASES. To test the study hypotheses, serial mediation analysis was conducted. In the proposed model, mindfulness was specified as an exogenous variable, CSE as the endogenous outcome variable, and self-compassion and anxiety as serial mediators.

Preliminary analyses confirmed the acceptable fit of the hypothesized structural model (χ2 (588) = 1441.81, p = .000, χ2/df = 2.45; CFI = .91, SRMR = .05; TLI = .91; RMSEA = .07). Mindfulness significantly and positively predicted self-compassion (β = .87, p < .001) and counseling self-efficacy (CSE) (β = .74, p < .001), while negatively predicting anxiety (β = -.38, p < .001). Self-compassion significantly and negatively predicted anxiety (β = -.54, p < .001), while predicting positively CSE (β = .33, p < .001). Anxiety did not significantly predict CSE (p > .05). Further, indirect effects were identified using bootstrapping (5000 resamples). First, self-compassion significantly mediated the link between mindfulness and CSE (β = .56, p < .05, 95% CI [.299, .830]). Second, anxiety significantly mediated the link between mindfulness and CSE (β = -.14, p < .05, 95% CI [-.305, -.034]). Finally, contrary to the hypothesis, the serial mediation effect from self-compassion to anxiety was not statistically significant (p > .05). Seven out of nine hypotheses were supported, except for H6 and H9. These findings underscore the critical role of internal resources like mindfulness and self-compassion in counselor training, while the role of anxiety is more complex. The non-significant direct link between anxiety and CSE may imply that trainees might be interpreting their anxiety as a stimulating challenge rather than a debilitating threat, or that dispositional anxiety measures may not fully capture the dynamic nature of session-specific anxiety. Consequently, counselor education programs are encouraged to integrate mindfulness and self-compassion training to help trainees build an “internal toolbox” for their professional development.

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