Normative Interventions
Normative articulated appreciative and affiliative practices, oversight and gate
keeping practices and self-care practices. These interventions are similar to those
proposed by Maslach et al. (2001) who identified categories of interventions
namely: individual focused interventions, which focus on changing factors
within the individual; and situation focused and organisational
interventions, which focus on management interventions at the workplace.
The study shows that counsellors who were interviewed identified appreciative
and affiliative practices from feelings and expressions of positive attributes and
positive cohesion. These practices include gift giving, being paid decent salaries,
encouraging and appreciating employee’s personal development, giving
employee benefits and providing periodic appraisals and positive reinforcement,
through rewards, recognition and promotions. Other practices identified include
potential nurturing and absorption, appreciating work experiences, redefining
failure and keep trying, giving positive affirmations, incentives and providing
appreciation both oral and written.
The appreciative and affiliative practices mentioned above conform to other
research findings. Ramarajan et al. (2006) argued that treating employees with
respect and dignity contributes to employee retention. Koh and Neo (2000) argued
that use of financial inducements is a good way reward and retain employees.
Pare and Temblay (2000) postulated that employees stay when well remunerated.
From the study findings, the theme of oversight and gate keeping practices was
extrapolated. Herein the participants revealed three major practices namely: (1)
attending personal therapy, (2) going for clinical supervision and (3) involvement
in continuous professional development programmes. White and Gaertner (2011)
stated clinical supervision is a significant intervention for dealing with counsellor
turnover. Knudsen et al. (2012) implied that supervision provides significant
support and is a buffer for resolving workplace issues. In their study, they
examined the relationship between supervision and exhaustion. They found that
there is a negative association between clinical supervision and exhaustion.
Many respondents attested participating in personal therapy as an important
intervention for dealing with burnout. This is consistent with Couper (2005) who
suggested a number of personal interventions for dealing with burnout, which
included: recognising limitations, accepting to involve others in dealing with
stress, involving supportive people, physical self-care and clarifying personal
goals and objectives. Dam, Eling, Keijsers and Becker (2013 reported that
cognitive behavioural treatment programmes for burnout are effective in dealing
with components of burnout like physical fatigue and reduced performance.
Generally personal therapy can be reflective and goal oriented in dealing with
burnout and turnover intentions. Lewandowski (2003) challenged employees to
reflect on impact of burnout on the quality of service provision. Shirom (2003)
proposed support groups to ameliorate burnout, particularly popular in learning
environments by providing instrumental and emotional support.
Attending supervision was mentioned as a significant intervention for dealing with
burnout and turnover intention. This seems to agree with Mutai et al. (2015) who
found that counsellors utilised clinical supervision as a coping strategy more than
other coping strategies. It further agrees with Thompson et al. (2011) who
observed that supervision has an important role in promoting resilience as a
protective factor against burnout. Further, Lee, Lim, Yang and Lee (2011)
suggested that clinical supervisors need to consider emotional exhaustion and
tailor job demands accordingly. Others strategies that they proposed include
delegating administrative work, self-care, peer support and group supervision.
From the study findings, many participants talked about ‘self-care’ as one of the
interventions for dealing with burnout and turnover intentions. This theme was
derived from responses that
depicted practices aimed at individual attention, management and nourishment.
Thompson et al. (2011) stated that self-care and self monitoring of symptoms of
burnout are essential for counsellors in caring for clients as well as for themselves.
Expressed interventions included: taking leave and off, seeking financial advice,
introducing off days from work, setting boundaries, learning to manage stress and
engaging in recreation. Other self-care strategies mentioned include involvement
in prayer and spiritual group, retreating from stressors, planning for employee
assistance programs.
A number of participants mentioned setting boundaries as a way of dealing with
burnout and turnover intention. Egan (2006) recommended that counsellors need
to maintain healthy boundaries between work and home life. Rupert et al. (2009)
suggested that strategies to reduce burnout must move beyond work setting and
integrate work and family life. They further argued that family support is more
important for well being at work.
Rupert, Miller and Dorociak (2015) categorised emotion focused strategies to
influence different aspects of burnout e.g. denial, venting and use of alcohol were
associated with emotional exhaustion; and problem focused strategies like
planning and seeking support were associated with lower depersonalisation and
higher personal accomplishment. They further suggested that maintaining
cognitive strategies for keeping perspectives on ones work is important for
reducing both emotional exhaustion and depersonalisation.
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