Professional quality of life and coping strategies of guidance counselors

Abstract

There is this common misconception that guidance counselors are somewhat immune from intellectual and emotional strains. An embedded idea that counselors, with all the trainings and education, should be able to overcome such problems without seeking professional assistance. More so, this idea seems to be shared by both the public community and the helping community as well. However, recent studies are starting to show that guidance counselors too could be vulnerable to fatigue and impairment. Now the question that this study aimed to answer is this: is the counseling community here in Baguio City and La Trinidad and to an extent, the country, facing the same vulnerability to fatigue and impairment? If so, are there programs available for its prevention? In pursuit of a definitive answer, this research is conceived to center on the current status of counselor wellness through an examination of the professional quality of life---feelings in relation to their work as a helper: satisfaction or fatigue-7-of practicing registered guidance counselors in Baguio City and La Trinidad and the coping strategies that they use to act on fatigue whenever they come to experience it. Indeed, this research is also of the objective of raising awareness to both the public and counseling communities of the importance of promoting programs intended for the maintenance of counselor wellness to help in the preservation of their abilities to efficiently perform their duties. The ultimate goal though is the making of a wellness program, based on the gathered data, to ensure maintenance of counselor wellness and keep a work-life balance among the counseling constituents. The researcher aims to find the professional quality of life of practicing registered guidance counselors (RGC) of Baguio City and La Trinidad and determine the wellness programs that they use to handle fatigue. The study specifically aims to find: 1. What is the professional quality of life of practicing RGCs in Baguio City and La Trinidad along: a. Compassion Satisfaction; b. Burnout; and c. Secondary Traumatic Stress? 2. What is the difference of practicing RGCs' professional quality of life when grouped according to: a. Years of experience b. Age c. Civil status d. Ethnicity Hypothesis: There is a significant difference to the practicing RGCs' professional quality of life when grouped according to years of experience, age, civil status and ethnicity. 3. What are the coping strategies employed by practicing RGCs of Baguio City and La Trinidad to handle counselor fatigue? 4. What wellness program could be proposed to the registered guidance counselors? The professional quality of life of guidance counselors were found by computing for the mean scores to each of the scales of the Professional Quality of Life-Version 5 (ProWL-V) scale. Results were then tallied according to respondent years of experience, age, civil status and ethnicity and were treated via analysis of variance (ANOVA) and t-tests. Data was gathered from the Coping Strategies Checklist by summing up scores for the frequency of the respondents' responses. The following are the major findings of the study: 1. The respondents tallied low in Burnout (mean = 18.88) and Secondary Traumatic Stress while marking high in compassion satisfaction. 2. There was found a significant difference between the respondents' scores in burnout when grouped according to years of experience. None were found in the same group in terms of secondary traumatic stress and compassion satisfaction. No other significant differences were found to the scores in the three scales of the ProQ0L-V when grouped according to age, civil status and ethnicity. 3.Respondents respond to fatigue by consulting with a support group (92%), taking breaks in-between work (92%), eating (64%), socializing (64%), listening to music (64%), reading books (60%), watching movies and playing games (60%), sleeping (60), and employing relaxation and breathing techniques (52). Preventive strategies employed were: offering a morning prayer (88), taking adequate food and rest (80%), going to personal retreats and vacations (68), attending seminars (60%), trainings (58%) and reading self-help and inspirational books (52%). 4. The respondents had any definitive wellness programs for counselors. However, it was found that the respondents consider their coping strategies as rudimentary form of personal wellness programs. In light of the findings of the study, the following are the conclusions: 1. The practicing registered guidance counselors of Baguio City and Benguet finds gratification and satisfaction from their work. 2. Rookie counselors pose a higher vulnerability to burnout. Age, civil status and ethnicity do not draw significant difference on the professional quality of life of guidance counselors. 3. The practicing registered guidance counselors of Baguio City and Benguet use a variety of reactive and preventive coping strategies to handle fatigue. 4. A proposed comprehensive wellness program for counselors is recommended to maintain effectiveness and efficiency on performing their duties. In relation with the findings and conclusions of this research, the following are recommended: 1. Administrations of institutions employing the services of professional guidance counselors have to provide ample programs to support the maintenance of wellness among the counseling personnel for the continuance of effectiveness and efficiency in their services. 2. Academic institutions offering degrees on guidance and counseling have to include the discussion of the certain vulnerabilities to fatigue and trauma into their respective curriculum. 3. Guidance counselors and their respective guidance centers and offices are recommended to incorporate in their information dissemination services a program which enables them to thoroughly discuss with various communities of the vulnerabilities of healthcare professionals, including guidance counselors, to fatigue and the importance of preserving wellness across all professions. 4. The incorporation of a wellness program for guidance counseling units is recommended. 5. The accredited and recognized organizations for guidance and counseling professionals should consider starting to include discussions about the susceptibility of their constituents to trauma and fatigue and their consequences in their practice during their annual conventions and workshops. These organizations should also encourage the use of comprehensive wellness programs among their constituents and the institutions utilizing their, services. 6. Students on the field of counseling are recommended to indulge into further readings on the subject of counselor wellness and the areas of which where the code of ethics and the law applies. 7. Further research on professional quality of life and its dynamics with guidance and counseling is recommended.