Adverse and Positive Childhood Experiences of Clinical Mental Health Counselors as Predictors of Compassion Satisfaction, Burnout, and Secondary Traumatic Stress

• Published in: The Professional Counselor (Greensboro, N.C.) N.C.), 2022-03, Vol.12 (1), p.49-64
• Main Authors: Brown, Eric M, Carlisle, Kristy L, Burgess, Melanie, Clark, Jacob, Hutcheon, Ariel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Activities of daily living; Altruism; Anxiety; Burn out (Psychology); Burnout; Causes of; Counseling; Counselors; Early Experience; Education; Educational Attainment; Gender Differences; Mental disorders; Mental health care; Professions; Psychiatric counselors; Psychological aspects; Questionnaires; Racial Differences; Researchers; Satisfaction; Secondary traumatic stress; Socioeconomic Status; Stress; Students; Trauma
• ISSN: 2164-3989; 2164-3989
• DOI: 10.15241/emb.12.1.49

Despite an emphasis on self-care to avoid burnout and increase compassion satisfaction within the counseling profession, there is a dearth of research on the developmental experiences of counselors that may increase the likelihood of burnout. We examined the impact of mental health counselors' (N= 140) experiences of adverse childhood experiences and positive childhood experiences on their present rates of compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress. We used a cross-sectional, non-experimental correlational design and reported descriptive statistics as well as results of multiple regression models. Results indicated significant relationships among counselors' rates of adverse childhood experiences, positive childhood experiences, and compassion satisfaction and burnout. We include implications for the use of both the adverse and positive childhood experiences assessments in the training of counseling students and supervisees. Keywords: counselors, burnout, childhood experiences, compassion satisfaction, secondary traumatic stress