Date of Award
2008
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Education
Program
Education
Supervisor
Dr. Jason Brown
Second Advisor
Dr. Susan Rodger
Abstract
Individuals employed in occupations that involve an intense emotional element, such as counselling, are particularly affected by stress and burnout. This study established levels of counsellor burnout, compassion fatigue, and compassion satisfaction in 76 counsellors using the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL). Using both quantitative and qualitative means, this study examined how such variables as the domain of counselling, professional experience, case load, and the amount of engagement in self-care affect counsellors’ burnout levels. The counsellors in this sample were significantly less burned out and showed significantly more compassion satisfaction than the ProQOL normed sample. Furthermore, burnout and compassion satisfaction were negatively correlated. It was determined that experience in the field of counselling and working in the private sector of counselling were protective factors for burnout; frequent engagement in self-care was not a protective factor for burnout. Finally, this study identified client- and occupational sources of stress for counsellors.
Recommended Citation
Flynn, Sarah Marguerite, "SOURCES OF WORKPLACE STRESS AND LEVELS OF BURNOUT IN COUNSELLORS" (2008). Digitized Theses. 4704.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/digitizedtheses/4704