TPC_Journal Digests_Volume_2_Issue_1

Jonathan H. Ohrt Laura K. Cunningham W ellness in M ental H ealth A gencies A b s t r a c t Burnout and impairment among profes- sional counselors are serious concerns. Ad- ditionally, counselors’ work environments may influence their levels of wellness and burnout. This phenomenological study in- cluded the perspectives of 10 professional counselors who responded to questions about how their work environments influ- ence their sense of wellness. Five themes emerged: (a) agency resources, (b) time management, (c) occupational hazards, (d) agency culture, and (e) individual differenc- es. Implications for professional counselors and future research are discussed. Burnout and impairment among professional counselors are serious concerns. Additionally, counselors’ work environments may influence their levels of burnout and wellness. The purpose of this exploratory study was to gain a greater understanding of how counselors experience wellness and how their work environment influences their sense of wellness. We used a qualitative, phenomenological approach because we were seeking to understand the participants’ lived experience of the phenomena (Creswell, 2007). The research team consisted of two counselor educators; who at the time of the study were doctoral students at a university in the Southeastern United States. The first author is a Caucasian male and the second author is a Caucasian female. TPC Digest TPC Journal Volume 2 Issue 1