The study investigated the extent of burnout condition
among counsellors in Kenya. The sources of burnout were
explored and personality style was positively correlated
with burnout development. Impact of burnout on
counsellor wellness and productivity was also established.
It examined whether counsellor supervision was an
appropriate strategy in the management of counsellor
burnout.
The study utilized a pluralistic design that combined both
qualitative and quantitative methods (Howard, 1983). The
qualitative design permitted collection of rich data from
study subjects' experiential and perceptual fields. This
ensured study findings would be relevant and applicable to
specific counsellor situations.
The study population comprised 20 counsellors and 9
Kenya Counselling Association (KCA) accredited counsellor
supervisors. The counsellor sample was drawn from 2
Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) centres, 2 rehabilitation centres and 2 educational institutions. This
diverse population was a helpful representation in terms of
generalizability of the study.
Three data collection instruments utilized were:
Questionnaires, focus group discussions and in-depth
interviews. The study's validity and reliability were ensured
through the two sample populations (counsellor and
counsellor supervisors), test re-test and pre-test
procedures for questionnaires and in-depth interviews.
Tallying identified items checked content validity.
The study findings showed that burnout seriously affected
practitioner effectiveness and led to malpractice and client
harm. The study predictably established that supervision is
an appropriate strategy in the management of counsellor
burnout. The metaphor of motor vehicle maintenance was
utilized in the development of the Holistic Burnout
Supervision Model (HBSM) that focussed on wellness
maintenance of the counsellor in a lifecycle. HBSM
identified two levels in wellness maintenance: Preventative
(servicing) and curative (repair).
The study recommended that counselor - training
institutions should incorporate in their curriculum
burnout and supervision modules. This would create
awareness about burnout and appropriate prevention
strategies at counsellor formation stages. People care
agencies should also institutionalize the burnout
supervision facility in order to ensure counsellor resiliency
and vitality. / Psychology / D. Phil (Psychology)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:unisa/oai:uir.unisa.ac.za:10500/1876 |
| Date | 30 November 2006 |
| Creators | Gachutha, Catherine Wanjiru |
| Contributors | Snyders, Frederik Jacobus Albertus, 1946-, Wahome, Lillian Wanjiku |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 1 online resource (xxvi, 588 leaves) |
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