Counseling Commons^™

The Shared Experiences Of Self-Care Practices Among Postgraduate Residents-In-Counseling, Pursuing Virginia Licensure: A Phenomenological Study, Audrey A. King

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand the shared experiences of residents-in-counseling in the state of Virginia seeking postgraduate hours who are currently in supervision, and how it affects their self-care. The central phenomenon for the study surrounded the encouragement, emphasis of, and practice of self-care by supervisors at the participant’s supervision site. The theory grounding the study is cognitive-behavioral supervision with an emphasis on the evaluation of a supervisor on the behavioral interactions of a resident-in-training obtaining direct client contact hours to meet state licensing requirements to practice as a mental health counselor. Four participants were …

A Phenomenological Study Of Clergy Hindrances To Seeking Help And Implementing Self-Care, Kerri S. Wilson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative transcendental phenomenological study aimed to identify and understand clergy members’ described hindrances to seeking help and implementing self-care for overcoming burnout. The theory guiding this study was transcendentalism from Husserl’s ontological approach to phenomenology. The United Pentecostal Church, International (UPCI) organization was chosen as the site for this study because the participants were clergy members licensed by the UPCI religious organization who had experienced burnout and hindrances to seeking help and implementing self-care. Participants included twelve UPCI clergy members. Data collection involved one-on-one initial interviews with each clergy member and follow-up interviews for clarification where needed. Data analysis …

Are Clinicians Primed For Burnout?: A Multidiscplinary Approach To Exploring Counselor Wellness, Anastasha Homa-Earl

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Though clinician wellness is a “hot topic” in the field of counseling, the current models of examining counselors’ levels of burnout and engagement do not account for the likely role that perception plays the subjective experiences of these constructs. This project attempts to synthesize methodology from the fields of social and cognitive psychology with the latest in industrial-organizational theory on burnout and engagement by applying a priming methodology to the study of mental health professionals’ experiences of work-related burnout and engagement. One hundred sixty-two clinicians participated in a priming experiment disguised as a workplace perceptions survey in an attempt to …

Expressive Therapies And Resiliency – Resistance In Mental Health: A Literature Review, Gabrielle Lopez

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This review evaluates the current literature on psychological resistance amongst human service professionals experiencing burnout and the effect of Expressive Arts interventions on resiliency. Concepts include identifying the main symptoms, risk factors, causes, and treatments for burnout in education faculty, medical staff, and clinicians. Qualitative, quantitative, and meta-analysis studies are included to identify the most prevalent intervention frameworks for reducing stress including Arts-Based and Mindfulness-compassion based techniques. The effectiveness of Arts-based tools on strengthening identity, self-esteem, emotional regulation, and meaning-making in combating burnout is presented. Based on analysis of the literature, the author proposes a three-step intervention framework for utilizing …

Addressing Burnout, Stress And Self-Care In Graduate Students At Arcadia’S University Counseling Program, Lorraynne Moura De Amorim

Graduate Theses & Dissertations

Burnout is a threat to both graduate and licensed level clinicians (Warlick et al., 2021). Burnout and stress can lead to professional impairment and result in unethical practice (Daly & Gardner, 2020; Warlick et al., 2021). Self-care is described in the literature as a protective factor to cope with burnout and stress (Butler et al., 2017; Callan et al., 2021; Daly & Gardner, 2020; Warlick et al., 2021). The American Counseling Association Code of Ethics reinforces professional’s ethical duties of monitoring sign and symptoms of impairment, which could interfere with their practice (ACA, 2014). The purpose of this study was …

Military Spouse Counselors: Exploring Mental Health, Resilience, Coping, And Burnout, Melinda Poteet Brinkley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Military spouses (MLSPs) are an integral part of the military family and key mental health providers in military community. This study explores the mental health, resilience, coping, and burnout of MLSP counselors, counselor educators, and supervisors (CES). This study was grounded in resilience theory, investigating relationships between mental health and burnout, mediated by resilience, and conditioned by coping. An online survey was distributed through social media and email, open to MLSP counselors/CES of all branches and components of service (N = 68). This quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional correlational research designed utilized PROCESS Models 4, 58, and 59, which determined that resilience …

Hubungan Presepsi Dukungan Sosial Teman Sebaya Dan Supervisor Dengan Tingkat Burnout Mahasiswa Saat Melaksanakan Praktikum : Studi Pada Mahasiswa Ilmu, Zatadini K. Paradasa, Getar Hati

Jurnal Ilmu Kesejahteraan Sosial

Students assigned with field practice (practicum) are prone to experiencing burnout. This study focuses on Social Welfare students who are currently undertaking practicum assignments. Burnout conditions can disrupt their social functioning and impacting target groups, institutions, and universities. One factor related to burnout is social support perceived by students. However, there is still minimal research related to burnout and social support among practicum students from social departments in Indonesia. Therefore, this study aims to describe the relationship between social support and burnout. This study uses a quantitative approach with descriptive objectives. The sample in this study was …

Stress, Resiliency, And Burnout Among Counseling Leaders, Adriana Bovee

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Leaders in the counseling profession face many demands. The purpose of this quantitative regression analysis study was to determine if there was a predictive relationship between the independent variables of stress and resiliency and dependent variables of burnout, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment among leaders in the counseling profession. Transformational leadership theory and resilience theory were applied as the theoretical framework of this study, and the cross-sectional data collection method was used. Data were collected through anonymous online surveys from a purposive sample of 75 counseling leaders. Data analysis methods included descriptive statistics and multiple linear regressions. Results indicated …

A Phenomenological Study On The Contributors Of Compassion Fatigue With Substance Use Disorder Counselors During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Jennifer A. Galvano

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study aimed to understand the experience of compassion fatigue in substance use counselors in Western New York during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many studies have reviewed burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary trauma and have discussed the outcomes of their unmanaged effects on healthcare professionals. Few have focused directly on the impact that key contributors of compassion fatigue have on substance abuse disorder (SUD) counselors. This qualitative study is designed to support substance abuse counselors’ mental health and well-being. Counselors are exposed to clashing situations such as turnover, larger caseloads, client trauma, regulations, lack of training, lack of understanding of …

Understanding The New Stress Factors Affecting Teachers' Burnout: A Scoping Review, Joby Thomas, Marc Eric S. Reyes

Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia

The teaching profession is extremely vulnerable to burnout. The sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic posed new threats and changed the educational environment, the perceptions and the values of teachers. The traditional in-person learning approach was quickly replaced by distant online learning to continue education. As schools reopened, a new educational platform, the hybrid learning model, evolved by fusing the two learning models. The high expectations placed on teachers to swiftly adopt new teaching methods—often without the required resources or training—exacerbated their exhaustion. We conducted a scoping review to determine the new stress factors that cause teachers’ burnout, following the …

Adverse Childhood Experiences Of Professional School Counselors As Predictors Of Compassion Satisfaction, Burnout, And Secondary Traumatic Stress, Eric M. Brown, Melanie Burgess, Kristy L. Carlisle, Desmond Franklin Davenport, Michelle W. Brasfield

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

School counselors work closely with students and are often the first point of contact regarding traumatic experiences. It is generally understood that exposure to other individuals’ trauma may lead to a reduction in compassion satisfaction and an increase in secondary traumatic stress, while long-term exposure may result in professional burnout. This study examined the role of school counselors’ (N = 240) own adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) as related to compassion satisfaction, secondary traumatic stress, and burnout. Results indicated that 50% of the professional school counselors in this convenience sample had personal histories of four or more ACEs, which is significantly …

The Cost Of Creating Therapeutic Relationships: A Phenomenological Study, Robert D. January

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe how licensed counselors address vicarious trauma and burnout when working with individuals exposed to trauma. This study involved ten licensed professionals from diverse settings including clinics, private practices, and non-profit organizations. Constructive Self-Development Theory guided this study, which defines how traumatic experiences influence a person’s sense of identity. This theory is particularly relevant to this qualitative study because it explains the challenges faced by professional counselors who interact with trauma survivors and acts as a guide toward solutions for preventing counselors from experiencing vicarious trauma and burnout. Snowball sampling was used …

Preventative Mental Health Measures For Ministerial Leaders, Claire Phypers

Selected Honors Theses

Pastoral care and responsibilities come with a particular weight that can feel overwhelming at times for those engaged in ministry. In a world where mental health seems to be making all the headlines, there appears to be an overall lack of conversation surrounding the emotional well-being of clergy. This thesis aims to create a more holistic perception of mental health among ministerial leaders and pinpoint preventative measures that can be put in place to protect the hearts and minds of pastors as they fulfill the callings on their lives. In conducting this research, a mixed-method survey was completed by twenty-one …

Examining The Relationship Between Counselor Professional Identity And Burnout, Jessica Gaul

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study examines counselor professional identity and burnout for clinical mental health counselors. The population of focus included licensed or license-eligible Clinical Mental Health Counselors, who were post-grad (N=53). Participants then completed the Professional Identity Scale in Counseling - Short Form and the Maslach Burnout Inventory–Human Services Survey. When examining the findings regarding the relationship between Counselor Professional Identity and Burnout for this study, the initial observation revealed the validity and applicability of the MBI-HSS to clinical mental health counselors. Though a relationship between Burnout and Counselor Professional Identity was not identified, relationships between sub-scale items were noteworthy. Implications for …

Exploring Resiliency To Burnout: A Phenomenological Study Of Addiction Counselors Resilient To Burnout, Brian Paulson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This transcendental phenomenological study aimed to describe the lived experiences of addiction counselors who appeared resilient to burnout (BO) and compassion fatigue (CF). The research question to frame this study was: What are the lived experiences of addiction counselors who appear resilient to severe levels of burnout and compassion fatigue, leading to longevity in the addiction counseling field? This included resiliency factors to resolve BO and CF, coping skills to resolve symptoms of BO and CF, and internal and external factors that contributed to BO and CF. Several theories were used to conduct this study, including Social Cognitive Theory, Social …

A Heavy Happiness: A Phenomenological Study Of Compassion Fatigue In Title I Rural School Counselors, Kathy Bynum Hoppe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe Title I rural K–12 school counselors’ lived experiences with compassion fatigue in Oklahoma. The research questions were: How do Title I school counselors in rural Oklahoma describe their experiences with compassion fatigue? How do participants describe the factors that contribute to their experience of compassion fatigue? How do participants describe the effects of compassion fatigue on their personal and vocational lives? The theory guiding this study was the compassion fatigue theory by Charles Figley (1995). Using a qualitative transcendental phenomenological design, Title I school counselors working in Oklahoma who experienced …

Flipping The Script On Pastoral Care: A Quantitative Study On The Effects Of Social Support And Self-Care And How It Influences The Presence Of Burnout In The Lives Of Pastors Serving In The Southern Baptist Conservatives Of Virginia, Mark W. Mccormick

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Burnout is a phenomenon that impacts many clergy across the world, regardless of denomination. There are many causal factors that lead to burnout, as well as a number of suggested measures for prevention and treatment. With education on burnout increasing, more awareness can and should be given to the subject. As pastors continue to serve their communities and congregations, it is likely that they will have to combat the onset of burnout at some point during their tenure. It is important for both the pastor and the congregation they serve to be aware of burnout and its symptoms, as well …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Leadership Development And Burnout Among Korean Immigrant Church Leaders In The United States: A Phenomenological Study, Jinwon Seo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The global outbreak and pandemic of COVID-19 is an unprecedented event that causes many people to experience psychological, spiritual, and social health crises as well as physical crisis. There is limited empirical research existed on the influence of COVID-19 on church leaders, particularly within the Korean immigrant community. A phenomenological approach was adopted, utilizing semi-structured individual interviews with Korean immigrant church leaders to explore their lived experiences during the pandemic. The findings revealed three primary themes: change, support, and burnout. Korean immigrant church leaders demonstrated balanced leadership development in guiding, providing, and protecting roles, but also experienced exhaustion due to …

A Phenomenological Study Of Church Leader's Experiences With Vicarious Trauma In Oviedo, Florida, Judy Rivera-Melendez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand and explore the need to help church leaders who are experiencing stress. Christian clergies are classified as priests, pastors, ministers, chaplains, and deacons who interact with the congregation by identifying the Bible Scriptures. Church leaders follow the teachings of the divine and are pulled from many angles. It is up to the congregation to help themselves and church leaders to relieve this stress to avoid vicarious trauma. This study digs deep to decipher if church leaders in Catholicism and Baptist teaching are aware of the stress they acquire from their …

Addressing Secondary Traumatic Stress, Burnout, Resilience And Turnover In The Child Welfare Workforce: Results From A 6-Month, Cluster-Randomized Control Trial Of Resilience Alliance, Rebecca Orsi-Hunt, Courtney L. Harrison, Kayla E. Rockwell, Anita P. Barbee

QIC-WD Journal Articles

Introduction: US child welfare agencies have historically struggled with workforce retention and turnover. As part of the Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development in Child Welfare, we tested an adaptation of the Resilience Alliance (RA) model in a large, Midwestern state to address workplace stress, burnout and actual workforce turnover. RA is a 24-week, facilitated program designed to mitigate the impact of secondary traumatic stress among child welfare professionals, and to therefore increase job satisfaction, resilience and optimism and to decrease turnover, stress reactivity and burnout.

Methods: Supervisory units of caseworkers and supervisors were randomized to the RA treatment …

Vicarious Trauma: A Phenomenological Qualitative Study Of School Counselors And Self-Care, Chernika E'Unece Leon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand school counselors’ lived experiences of vicarious trauma and explore self-care strategies. School counselors are often exposed to vicarious trauma while working with children who encounter trauma. The theories used to guide this study were constructivist self-development theory and the theory of self-care. These theories explained the nature of understanding the psychological, interpersonal, and transpersonal influence of trauma work on counselors. There were two research questions that guided this study: (a) How do school counselors describe their experience of vicarious trauma? (b) What coping strategies do school counselors implement to cope with …

Peer-Supervision Of Nursing Professionals: A Shield Against Burnout, Kyle Gamache, Sarah Gamache, Joseph Robillard

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: Burnout is a major risk in healthcare professions and is a significant contributor to the current nursing shortage. Strategies to combat burnout of healthcare professionals are in desperate need. The purpose of this project is to introduce the clinical peer supervision model as a method to alleviate burnout in nursing professionals.

Approach: Eight nurses from in-patient settings participated in a peer-supervision support group, modeled after existing European nursing and mental health provider-support protocols. To assess the effect of this intervention, qualitative data analysis was conducted on the transcripts of session and the results described. All participants reported statistically high …

The Impact Of Supervisor Servant Leadership On Counselor Supervisee Burnout And Secondary Traumatic Stress, Colleen M. Grunhaus, Thomas J. Ward, Victor E. Tuazon, Kristal James

Teaching and Supervision in Counseling

This study investigates the prediction of supervisee burnout and secondary traumatic stress by perceived supervisor servant leadership. Authors hypothesized that the servant leadership of supervisors would predict diminished burnout and secondary traumatic stress of supervisees. A sample of 241 counseling supervisees participated in the cross-sectional study and completed instruments measuring burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and perceived servant leadership of their direct supervisors. Data were analyzed with two simple linear regressions, and a one-way MANOVA was performed to determine if supervisee burnout, supervisee secondary traumatic stress, and perceived servant leadership of supervisors differed significantly according to supervisor type (i.e., clinical, administrative, …

An Exploration Of Stressors And Perceptions Of Wellness Among Christian Church Ministry Wives, Laura Ann Kellicut

Dissertations

Ministerial families are in the unique situation of a two-person career, where although the husband is the only one employed by the church, the wife is also expected to perform church specific demands and responsibilities (Frame & Shehan, 1994; Lifeway, 2017). Unique variables and factors of stress among ministry wives have been identified along with how their role affects certain domains of life (Douglas, 1961; Frame & Shehan, 1994; Lee, 2007; Zoba, 1997; Luedtke & Sneed, 2018). Lifeway Research (2017) found that 78% of ministers' spouses experienced some level of burnout with 22% at the highest levels. In the literature, …

“Living In Trauma 24/7”: A Qualitative Exploration Of Factors Contributing To Secondary Traumatic Stress And Burnout Among Student Services Professionals Working With Marginalized Student Populations, Delia Sanchez, Portia A. Jackson Preston, Christine Vu, Lucia Alcala

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

Higher education professionals are at risk of secondary traumatic stress (STS) as a result of supporting students experiencing trauma, while overwhelming workload, inadequate resources, and unclear role responsibilities may lead to burnout. This study explored contributing factors to STS and burnout and coping efforts among faculty, students, and staff working in a capacity in which they provide non-instructional support to programs or centers focusing on marginalized student populations. Participants (N=56) represented twenty-two U.S. regional universities, and were a subset of respondents to a larger mixed-methods study (n=559). Qualitative responses to three open-ended questions on challenges and coping efforts were analyzed …

A Systemic Approach To Understanding Burnout Through The Lens Of The United States’ Professional Art Therapy (And Mental Health) Community: A Literature Review, Mary Welch

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Burnout among mental health counseling and art therapy professionals has long been an issue (Meyerson 1998; Prins et al., 2015; Yang & Hayes, 2020; Zeira 2021). While previous research into the causes and reduction of burnout have focused primarily on individual burnout, both in terms of psychology and workplace habits (Rollins et al. 2021), very few studies have been done examining the systemic, institutional, and cultural contributions to burnout in these professions. This paper aims to explore the connection between community standards and the current systems that intersect professional art therapy practice in the United States and the areas in …

Sense Of Purpose, Self-Efficacy And Problem-Focused Coping As Predictors Of Mental Health Clinician Burnout, Launa Ashley Duffy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Burnout has been an area of interest in research since the 1970s. However, the World Health Organization (2019) only recently determined the state of being occupationally burned out was indeed worthy of differential criteria. Research on the impact a sense of purpose has on a mental health professionals’ experience of burnout promises to deliver a new understanding of this syndrome. Some studies have stressed that due to the many positive results observed when an individual has a sense of purpose, a sense of purpose can only reduce the presence of burnout. However, a sense of purpose can also influence factors …

The Importance Of Self-Awareness For The Prevention Of Burnout And Compassion Fatigue For Clergy, Reginald Charlestin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Self-care is both necessary and vital to the efficiency and longevity of ministry professionals, pastors, and people in general. When a person neglects their physical, emotional, and mental state, quality of life decreases. To study the importance of self-awareness and how to prevent burnouts and compassion fatigue among clergy, this thesis used the Macedonia Worship Center leadership staff as a study subject. The researcher studied various peer-reviewed articles that have evaluated the relationship between those who work in ministry and their levels of burnout and compassion fatigue alongside their perception of self-care to understand the importance of self-awareness related to …

Alaskan Rural Pastors' Lived Experiences With Mental Health Stigma, Josephine Kay Barry

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of rural Alaskan pastors with mental health and mental health stigma both personally and professionally. While there were few studies available to assist with the framework of this research there were some that focused on pastors, depression, burnout and collaboration with counselors in rural areas. A Conceptual Mapping Task (CMT) was used to conduct the interview of five pastors within an isolated Alaskan community. Pastors were asked to describe in detail their lived encounters with mental health stigma and how it impacted them and their congregation. Interviews were …

Burnout, Self-Care, And Supervision In Middle School Counselors, Sarah L. Evans Zalewski

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

This study examines middle school counselor supervision types in relation to burnout and self-care scores. The impact of supervision via technology on self-care and burnout scores was considered. This study found that school counselors who received both administrative and clinical supervision fared better on the incompetence domain of burnout, that self-care was inversely proportional to burnout, and that receiving supervision via technological means had no impact on either burnout or self-care.