WK 6 Counselor Impairment Paper PDF

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Running head: COUNSELOR IMPAIRMENT

Counselor Impairment Toni Kittrell Liberty University

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COUNSELOR IMPAIRMENT

2 Abstract

Counselors help others develop coping skills to get them through life and work problems and reduce the effect stress factors have on them. Counselors are highly educated and specially trained to give clients quality care. It is crucial for counselors to be focused, understanding, empathetic, and have self awareness in order to be effective in their role. Being a counselor comes with a daily pressure to be motivating and positive to each client which can lead to a counselor feeling stressed or burned out. Just like their clients, counselors experience their own trauma and mental health problems putting them at a risk of impairment. Counselors play an important role in their client’s life as they empathize with them and inspire them to live a healthier life. When a counselor’s mental functioning is impaired, the counselor’s effectiveness is significantly less, putting the client in harm. The article “Preventing Counselor Impairment: Vulnerability, Wellness, and Resilience” describes the most common definitions of counselor impairment and the vulnerabilities associated with the term. This paper will explore the definition and characteristics of counselor impairment, the prevalence, risk factors, and recommendations to treating and preventing impairment in the professional counseling community.

COUNSELOR IMPAIRMENT

3 Definition

Counselor impairment has become a major concern in the counseling profession and can be explained using several terms associated with the physical and mental clarity of professional counselors. According to the American Counseling Association (ACA, 2002), counselor impairment is defined as “counselors who are distinguished from stressed or distressed counselors and are experiencing significant stressors, but whose work is not significantly impacted.” The ACA also termed professionals dealing with personal struggles who showed empathy for their clients as therapeutic impairment which can negatively impact the client during the session. When impaired, counselors are unable to stay focused on the client and lose the goal of providing quality care to clients due to traumatic life events. Incidence Many professional counselors believe they are unsusceptible to the impact of traumatic events and forget to be self-aware of their own needs and wants, often leading to mental fatigue or trauma, social problems, and/or abuse. As the percentage of mental and emotional disorders increases, the prevalence of impairment among professional counselors becomes unclear as new evidence surfaces. The Surgeon General released statistics in the 1999 Mental Health Report that identified approximately 21% of the American population is suffering from mental and emotional disorders. In 2015, Lawson and Venart conducted a study that found evidence that there is a significant difference in the number of counselors impacted by mental and emotional disorders than the number affected in the general population. This has been attributed to the risk factors related to the role. A study led by Wardle and Mayorga (2016) discovered that 85.72% of counseling students with higher education displayed symptoms of burnout in different aspects.

COUNSELOR IMPAIRMENT

4 Characteristics

Impaired counselors can display various signs and symptoms. The cause of the impairment determines what symptoms will develop. According to the American Counseling Association (2002), the indications of impairment in counseling professions includes “burnout, depression, temporary emotional imbalance, stress and anxiety, drug and alcohol abuse, exploitation of clients, over-involvement and overwork, and contagion.” A counselor may be considered impaired if he or she suffers from one or more of these indications. Commonly, counselors who are impaired withdraw from work or their personal life experience an increase in anxiety, feel depressed, and have mood swings. The most visible sign that can also be used to distinguish impaired counselors from mentally healthy ones is stress. Counselors who are facing intense stressors may not show any changes in their work. Studies have found burnout to be the most prevalent in the professional counseling community. Burnout is an apparent indicator of impairment classified by physical, emotional, and mental stress and exhaustion. Symptoms of burnout include a negative outlook on life or one’s self, loss of empathy, avoidance of social interactions, and emotional exhaustion. Apparent signs of impairment can sometimes be substance abuse or the overidentification with a client, also known as contagion. These signs influence the development of symptoms such as memory loss, decrease in focus, and physical health issues. If displayed in sessions, they can be detrimental to the client’s mental health and safety.

COUNSELOR IMPAIRMENT

5 Risk Factors

Risk factors are what make professional counselors susceptible to the onset of impairment, influencing the transference of negative emotions from the client to the counselor, traumatic stress, and depression. Many factors and elements that counselors are exposed to in their daily work schedule make them vulnerable to mental impairment. For example, a counselor who over sympathizes with their client is at risk of counselor impairment. Client’s stories and issues might bring up past traumatic experiences in a counselor’s life. The best way to handle this situation and to avoid counselor impairment would be to recommend the client to another counselor in order to remove the counselor’s newly developed stress or memories. Common causes of impairment include substance abuse, physical illness, personal crisis, and mental illness. Conclusion The professional counseling community has a high percentage of counselors who leave the field which has been attributed to a high rate of burnout in professional counselors. To prevent counselor impairment, it is recommended that the counselor practices and maintains selfcare and wellness. By keeping professional counselors informed, they will know how to identify signs and symptoms as well as have a good understanding of the risk factors related. This tactic can significantly decrease the number of impaired counselors in the counseling community and increase awareness.

COUNSELOR IMPAIRMENT

6 References

American Counseling Association (2002). American Counseling Association’s Taskforce on Counselor Wellness and Impairment. Retrieved from //www.creatingjoy.com/taskforce/tf_definitions.htm Lawson, G., & Myers, J. E. (2011). Wellness, professional quality of life, and career-sustaining behaviors: What keeps us well? Journal of Counseling and Development, 89(2), 163-171. Miville, L. M., Carlozzi, E. A., Gushue, V. G., Schara L. S., & Ueda, M. (2006). Mental health counselor qualities for a diverse clientele: Linking empathy, universal-diverse orientation, and emotional intelligence. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 28(2), 151165. U.S. Surgeon General. (1999). Mental health: A Report from the Surgeon General. Retrieved September 28, 2004, from https://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/mentalhealth/chapter4/sec1.html Wardle E.A., Mayorga, M.G. (2016). Burnout Among the Counseling Profession: A Survey of Future Professional Counselors. I-manager’s Journal on Educational Psychology, Vol. 10...