TPC Journal-Vol 9- Issue 4-FULL ISSUE

The Professional Counselor | Volume 9, Issue 4 339 PTSD are being experienced by practicing counselors. On the STSS, all symptoms were experienced to some degree by 49.5% of the participants. Symptoms were rated significant if they scored higher than “never” on the STSS, meaning they had experienced the symptom to some degree within the past 7 days. The most common symptom of VT experienced by participants was thinking about work with clients when not intending to do so (85.5%), as measured by the STSS. Additional symptoms of VT experienced commonly by participants included feeling emotionally numb (80.5%), becoming easily annoyed (79.1%), having difficulty concentrating (75.5%), and feeling discouraged about their future (75.5%). Experiencing disturbing dreams about their clients (49.5%) and feeling jumpy (56.4%) were the least common symptoms experienced by participants, but 49.5% of the participants experienced these symptoms. Table 1 outlines the VT symptoms of participants as measured by the STSS in descending order. Table 1 STSS Symptom Distribution Items in Descending Order n (%) I thought about my work with clients when I didn’t intend to. 188 (85.5%) I felt emotionally numb. 177 (80.5%) I was easily annoyed. 174 (79.1%) I felt discouraged about the future. 166 (75.5%) I had trouble concentrating. 166 (75.5%) I had trouble sleeping. 165 (75.0%) I wanted to avoid working with some clients. 162 (73.6%) I was less active than usual. 156 (70.9%) Reminders of my work with clients upset me. 155 (70.5%) My heart started pounding when I thought about my work with clients. 155 (70.5%) I had little interest in being around others. 149 (67.6%) It seemed as if I was reliving the trauma(s) experienced by my client(s). 133 (60.5%) I expected something bad to happen. 132 (60.0%) I avoided people, places, or things that reminded me of my work with clients. 126 (57.3%) I noticed gaps in my memory about client sessions. 126 (57.3%) I felt jumpy. 124 (56.4%) I had disturbing dreams about my work with clients. 109 (49.5%) Participant responses to the PCL-5, utilized to measure subthreshold PTSD symptoms, suggested practicing counselors are experiencing subthreshold PTSD symptoms. Symptoms were rated as significant if they scored higher than “not at all,” indicating they had experienced the symptom to some degree within the past month. The most common symptom reported to have been experienced by all participants (100%) was repeated, disturbing, or unwarranted memories of the stressful experience. Other symptoms that were reported to have been experienced commonly by practicing counselors included having trouble falling or staying asleep (71.4%), having difficulty concentrating (70.9%), feeling distant or cut off from other people (68.2%), and feeling very upset when something