Maintaining Balance for Christian Counsellors When Work is a Calling

Abstract

This study examined how Christian Counsellors with a calling manage their work–non-work boundaries. A calling offers satisfaction, meaning and purpose but can lead to overwork. Using a qualitative approach with seven experienced counsellors, we identified demands that a calling can create, resources that counsellors use to manage these demands, and strategies for maintaining a balance between work and non-work. Maintaining balance required deliberate attention and giving oneself permission, and strategies were learned over time.