A Typology of Burnout in Professional Counselors

There are many issues that could strain a counselor's physical and psychological resources--managed care constraints, increased budget cuts, and burgeoning caseloads--and the counselor is expected to maintain a sense of equilibrium in facing these issues while still providing quality therapeutic services (Kesler, 1990; O'Halloran & Linton, 2000). If not closely monitored, counselor burnout, conceptualized as a combination of multiple emotional and physical ailments manifesting cognitively or within the workplace, could ensue and jeopardize both the counselor's well-being and treatment efficacy. Several descriptions of burnout are found in the professional literature. Maslach and Jackson (1981) described burnout as a syndrome distinguished by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a lack of personal accomplishment. Meir (1983) described burnout as a "state in which individuals expect little reward and considerable punishment from work because of a lack of valued reinforcement, controllable outcomes, or personal competence" (p. 899). More recently, Osborn (2004) noted similar elements when describing burnout as "the process of physical and emotional depletion resulting from conditions at work or, more concisely, prolonged job stress" (p. 319). Given the myriad stressors inherent in any therapeutic endeavor, it is not surprising that the phenomenon of burnout has generated considerable interest among counseling researchers within the past decade (Leiter & Harvie, 1996; Vredenburgh, Carlozzi, & Stein, 1999). Nor does it seem unusual to find empirical evidence that burnout exists among professional counselors (Leiter & Harvie, 1996) or studies that explore the emotional, physical, and occupational implications of counselors who are vulnerable to burnout (e.g., Osborn, 2004; Thompson, 1999). Although most burnout studies concerning counselors have focused primarily on correlates such as characteristics, work environments, and client attributes (e.g., Vredenburgh et al., 1999), research examining specific burnout typologies experienced among professional counselors remains limited. More specifically, earlier studies tended to consider counselor burnout as a homogenous phenomenon with a predictable and consistent set of symptoms. Recently, Loo (2004) used the multidimensional construct of burnout to examine burnout types in police officers. Loo's study, the first to use a clustering methodology to identify burnout types, yielded three different patterns: laissez-faire managers, well-adjusted managers, and distressed managers. Results from this study revealed three specific burnout types among police officers, opening the door to the development of specialized policies and programs that address the unique burnout patterns among individual officers. In a similar way, a system of classifying burnout patterns among professional counselors could generate specific subtypes of burnout that indicate counselors at risk for burnout. Such a classification system could also serve as the catalyst for programs aimed at both the prevention of burnout and, when necessary, the alleviation of burnout among professional counselors. The majority of the current research on burnout uses the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS; Maslach & Jackson, 1984). Although the MBI-HSS provides some insight regarding counselor burnout, it falls short in accurately assessing burnout specifically related to counselors. Therefore, the present study assesses counselor burnout with the newly developed Counselor Burnout Inventory (CBI; Lee et al., 2007). In this study, MBI-HSS was used to compare the patterns derived from the CBI. The CBI provides norm-referenced measures of a counselor's burnout syndrome on five factorially derived burnout dimensions: Exhaustion, Incompetence, Negative Work Environment, Devaluing Client, and Deterioration of Personal Life. Unique to this inventory is its focus on the counselor's work environment. …