Although recognition of problems posed by critical client statements and recommendations for counselors' understanding, empathy, and confrontation abound, interventions to aid counselors in coping with critical client statements are rare. Graduate-level counselor trainees (N=40) were assigned to one of four methods of supervision: interpersonal process recall, modeling, stress inoculation, or a control condition. Each subject received two individual 15-minute supervisory sessions of the same type of supervision. Subjects then responded to videotapes of clients displaying critical client behaviors such as anger, defensiveness, manipulation or neutral statements. Subjects' oral responses to client behaviors were rated on four dimensions: reflection of feelings, reflection of content, delivery, and appropriateness. Data analysis revealed significant main effects for both method of supervision and type of critical client statement. Results suggest that counselor trainees' responses to critical client statements can be affected by brief exposure to supervision. Modeling tends to emerge as the most effective method of supervision in increasing reflection of feelings and appropriateness; defensiveness tends to emerge as the most difficult type of critical client statement. (Author/NRB)