Transcendent Characteristics as Predictors of Counselor Professional Quality of Life

Abstract

Although counselors do meaningful work, they can also experience compassion fatigue as a result of counseling clients. Relatively few studies have focused on how counselors' positive characteristics might contribute to their professional quality of life. This study combined the transcendent constructs of gratitude, hope, and daily spiritual experiences as predictors of counselor burnout and compassion satisfaction. Counselors (N = 98) completed a survey assessing professional quality of life and constructs of gratitude, hope, and daily spiritual experiences. After controlling for demographic variables, simultaneous regression analysis revealed that gratitude and daily spiritual experiences were significant negative predictors for burnout. Older counselors were also less likely to have burnout, highlighting questions about what strengths are developed with age. Hope was the only significant predictor of compassion satisfaction. Results suggest that these predictors are differentially related to aspects of professional quality of life and may hold promise as potential protective factors.

Professional Quality of Life and Affective Distress Among Prelicensed Counselors

“…We studied the relationships among prelicensed counselors’ individual and organizational demographic variables, professional quality of life (i.e., compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress), and affective distress (i.e., depression, anxiety, and stress) using structural equation modeling. When compared with Browning et al (2019), participants in our study scored slightly lower in compassion satisfaction, higher in burnout, and lower in secondary traumatic stress. We were unable to compare participants from the present study with those from the Lawson and Myers (2011) study because of the different ProQOL versions administered between studies.…”

“…The numerous challenges experienced by prelicensed counselors may help contextualize the findings by scholars (e.g., Browning et al, 2019; Thompson et al, 2014) who reported an inverse correlational relationship between years of experience and counselor burnout. That is, as counselors’ years of experience decreased, their self‐reported symptoms of burnout increased.…”

“…Lawson et al (2007) theorized that the interpersonal nature of counseling can have a negative effect on counselors’ professional quality of life. As a result, scholars have studied the degree to which counselors experience fulfillment in their professional quality of life (e.g., Browning et al, 2019; Lambert & Lawson, 2013; Lawson, 2007; Lawson & Myers, 2011). In general, occupational stressors, such as caseloads and engagement in group supervision, are inversely related to counselors’ negative professional quality of life (Lawson, 2007; Lawson & Myers, 2011).…”

“…Relatedly, Lawson and Myers (2011) studied American Counseling Association (ACA) members ( N = 506), who consisted predominantly of licensed professional counselors with, on average, more than 10 years of experience. Recently, Browning et al (2019) studied professional counselors’ ( N = 98) positive characteristics (i.e., hope, gratitude, and daily spiritual experiences) and professional quality of life. Browning et al (2019) found that hope positively related to compassion satisfaction and gratitude and daily spiritual experiences negatively related to burnout.…”

“…Recently, Browning et al (2019) studied professional counselors’ ( N = 98) positive characteristics (i.e., hope, gratitude, and daily spiritual experiences) and professional quality of life. Browning et al (2019) found that hope positively related to compassion satisfaction and gratitude and daily spiritual experiences negatively related to burnout. No positive characteristics were related to secondary traumatic stress.…”