The Experience of Ethical Dilemmas, Burnout, and Stress among Practicing Counselors

Abstract

The authors reported findings from a correlational investigation examining the relationship between counselors’ ( N = 140) experiences with ethical dilemmas and their reported levels of burnout and stress. Using structural equation modeling, the authors identified that a higher rate of encountering ethical dilemmas related to an increased level of counselor burnout and stress among the participants. However, higher rates of reflecting on the ethical dilemmas did not have a relationship with participants’ burnout and stress. The authors present implications of these findings for counselors, along with future research directions.