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Counselor Impairment and Wellness
Benchmark Professional Counselor Impairment and Wellness
Freda Ralph
School of Behavioral Science, Liberty University
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Counselor Impairment and Wellness
Abstract
In this paper, we will define counselor impairment and the symptoms experienced by impaired
counselors. Burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary/ vicarious trauma are all associated with
counselor impairment. Exploration of the importance of counselor wellness will also be discussed.
Professional counselors bust monitor their wellness is several domains to ensure they are able to
perform their occupation responsibilities in an ethical manner. The domains of wellness include
considerations of social, physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, psychological, environmental, and
occupational wellness practices. Ethical implications of impairment will also be further discussed as well
as the state of Connecticut’s processes to finding out ethical code violations. Counselors have an ethical
duty to ensure monitoring of the counselor’s well-being to avoid doing harm to clients. Self-care is a
vital skill to be developed in the training phase of a professional counselor’s career. Assessment tools
were utilized to evaluate the author's areas of personal wellness in their life to determine what areas
need to be worked on and the steps to take action to achieve overall wellness in the future.
Keywords: Impairment, ethical, self-care, wellness practices, ACA
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Counselor Impairment and Wellness
Benchmark Professional Counselor Impairment and Wellness
Counselor wellness is an important area of discussion for counselors-in-training and current
practicing professionals. Over the years, more attention has been put on the wellness and resilience of
professional counselors. The state a counselor’s wellness directly impacts the quality of services being
provided to clients. If wellness is not consciencely managed, it puts counselors at risk for professional
burnout, which can lead to causing harm to clients. Counselor’s who are highly stressed maybe
experiencing impairment, which requires thoughtful and intentional interventions to aid in improving
the overall wellness of professionals in the helping field. Counselors must ensure that they are
implementing self-care into the identified domains to ensure that counselors are functional at their full
capabilities. It is imperative for the counseling professional to maintain awareness of their ethical,
professional and spiritual responsibility of taking care of yourself (Simmons et. al., 2020)
Professional Counseling and Impairment
Simmons et al. (2020) states that the definition of counselor impairment is a simple one. It is
defined simply as a state in which a counselor is not preforming at their peak capabilities and their state
of wellness is lacking (Simmons et al., 2020). There are a number of reasons why a counselor may
become impaired. Counselors who may are impaired oftentimes experience feelings of burnout,
compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma (Simmons et al., 2020). It is important for counselors to be
self-aware and realize early on that they may be suffering from impairment so they can remediate the
feelings impacting their overall wellness negatively.
An early sign of a counselor heading towards impairment is that they may noticed that they are
feeling burnt out. Burnout is commonly used to describe when someone is experiencing exhaustion in
their place of work but not limited to the counseling profession. Working professionals in any line of
work can experience the lack of wellness associated with burnout but it is most commonly associated
with the helping professions (Simmons et al., 2020). Counselors who are burnt out are not happy with
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Counselor Impairment and Wellness
their work environment and may feel stressed, and having trouble working through the expectations of
their occupation. Burnout develops over time and the counselor may experience feelings that may be
emotionally, physically and spiritual exhausting. The counselor may also be feeling less personal
accomplishment as they once have felt. (Maslach et al., 2001 in Simmons et al., 2020). These symptoms
can also be exacerbated if a counselor is currently suffering in their personal life.
Professional counselors are trained to have compassion for the populations they serve. This
requires the counselor to be empathetic in order to build an authentic counseling relationship as well as
the ability to effectively treat those who are suffering with mental illness. Due to the nature of the
helping professions, professional counselors tend to carry the heavy burdens of their clients, resulting in
the counselor's desire to want to reduce the suffering of others (Compassion, 2020). Because these are
tools regularly demonstrated in the counseling field, it can lead to the professional counselor
experiencing compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue is another sign of impairment in the profession
and may set on quickly. Compassion fatigue is described to occur as the result of taking on the
emotional pain of others and leads to the counselor being no longer pleased with helping populations
they once had satisfaction in helping. The factors that contribute to compassion fatigue are complex and
may include stressors that are distinct to the counseling field (Simmons et al., 2020).
Counselors have a professional responsibility to show empathy to the individuals they work
with. There are times where the counselor may experience emotional duress due to hearing accounts of
traumatic experienced by their clients. Counselors may become increasingly stressed in sharing in the
emotion pain of those who are suffering, which can lead to what is known as secondary or vicarious
trauma. Because counselors tend to care so much for the well-being of the client, it can cause the
counselor to make the client’s trauma their own, which can sometimes lead to a more severe reaction
where traumatic countertransference occurs. This happens when the counselor's own trauma reaction is
triggered upon hearing about a client’s traumatic experience. (Simmons et al., 2020).
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Counselor Impairment and Wellness
Ethical Implications of Impairment
Counselors have an ethical responsibility to recognize and intercept impairment when
experiencing symptoms. If the counselor is not aware of their wellness and wellness practices, they risk
causing imminent harm to their clients. Impairment may cause an otherwise competent counselor to
make unethical decisions while working with suffering clients. When counselors are impaired, it may
interfere with the counseling process and relationship, cause infringement of ethical codes, and
violation of trust. This can result in the counselor causing great harm to their clients (Robino, 2019).
Furthermore, it is important for counselors to practice self-care to maintain and promote over wellness
to ensure they ethically meet their professional responsibilities.
In the state of Connecticut, the most common ethical offense reported by the Department of
Public health is dual relationships. Many of the unethical offenses including taking gifts from clients, or
using resources for personal financial gain. For licensee protectional counselor's, Connecticut proves a
website where any licenses can be looked up by number or status: pending, active or inactive. The
website provides information on whether any disciplinary action is being taken against the license and
the current offenses.
Impairment Prevention
In discussing the wellness of professional counselors, it is important to know that self-care is an
important skill that must be continuously thought about and acknowledged. Furthermore, It is
consequential for professionals-in-training in the helping field to establish good self-care habits early on
to get a head start to achieving overall wellness (Simmons et al., 2020). Professional counselors must
make conscience decisions in all areas of their life that to maintain optimal wellness. The areas of a
professional counselor’s life to focus on wellness practices includes intellectual, emotional, physical,
occupational, and spiritual. It is up to the counselor to consistently examine their wellness in order for
them to find balance in their life and to be successful in their role as a professional counselor.
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Counselor Impairment and Wellness
In order for counselors to maintain their overall wellness and to prevent impairment, it is
imperative for counselors to be proactive to their needs and set realistic goals if currently faced with
stress and other elements of impairment. Having a well throughout plan that is tailored to the specific
needs of the counselor has proven to help encourage real changes to be made can help in getting ahead
of stress (Simmons et al., 2020). Simmons et al shared a useful tool that helps to articulate setting goals
and their action steps. This tool is called the S.M.A.R.T acronym which stands for specific measurable
achievable, relevant, and time bound. This tool helps set clear goals and increase motivation to be
supports in successfully at reaching them (Simmons et at., 2020). The American Counseling Association
(2014, Section C.2.g), states that a professional counselor has an ethical duty to monitor themselves for
the signs of impairment and cease providing any services to others while In an impaired state.
Counselor’s must also intervene and provide consultation when colleges are showing signs of
impairment to prevent harm being done to clients. The code of ethics also state that an impaired
counselor should not return to practicing until the can safely return to work (ACA,2014 Section C.2.g,
p.9). Having a strong supervision relationship are also encouraged. Supervision should be utilized to help
counselors who are experiencing challenges or may be feeling vulnerable receive support in the
professional setting to enhance their growth personally and professionally (Simmons et. al., 2020).
Wellness Assessment
Participating in these assessments has helped me gain insights into areas of my life that need work.
These assessments have aided me in becoming more self-aware of the things that are going on in my life
that may be impacting my emotional, physical and spiritual wellness. I also have a great appreciation for
the positives in my life and realize that there is always room for improvement but I do realize my life is
not the worst. After completing the “Life Changes Scale”, I received a score of 218. This falls in the range
of 150-299 which shows that I have a 50% likeness for illness in the future. This has me a bit worried, but
also hopeful. There have been several events in my life recently that has induced stress and anxiety. This
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Counselor Impairment and Wellness
assessment tells me that if I do not monitor my mental health and take care of myself, I have a
chance of tittering to the side of developing illness. I need to be mindful of my mental state and
seek help when I am feeling overwhelmed.
The assessment tool “Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support” (Zimet,
Dahlem, Zimet & Farley, 1988), Most off my answers were “strongly agree”, with a couple of
“neutral” responses. This assessment aided me in perceiving that overall, I have a strong
support system. I have a good relationship with my family and friends. Realizing that I have a
strong support system relieves some of my anxieties, by knowing there are people that I can
turn to in my life during a time of need. For the two response that I responded as to neutral, I
feel that can be easily addressed and better developed by me make a few small changes.
Sometimes I an not 100% sure if my friends will be there for me in my time of need. This is an
assumption that I have because I have never reached out to them for help; I am usually the one
being a support. I am interested in making changes in this area.
The tool titled “Assessing Your Life Balance” and “Self-care Assessment” has helped me
see where I need to focus more or less energy on to live a more balanced life. I see that working
on myself is important for me to be able to effectively counsel others on a professional level. I
am generally content with most of the areas assessed in this tool but I also would like to
strengthen all of the areas of well. This tool helped greatly me in thinking more deeply about
my life and considered things that I have not considered in recent memory. The tool also
further aides me in the development of my self-awareness. The “Self-Care Assessment” tool has
helped me to identify more ways that I can take care of myself besides the things that I usually
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Counselor Impairment and Wellness
do. I know that I need to work on my physical, spiritual, and emotional wellness to be satisfied
with my life.
Personal Wellness Plan
Based off the assessment results, I have identified that the areas I need to work on is my
physical, spiritual and emotional wellness. I would like to continuously work on all areas of the
assessment but I feel these three areas need the most attention. I realize that I should not be so
hard on myself and try to only worry about the things that I have control over. Moving forward,
I would like to work on my time management skills so that I can make time for the things that
are important to me as well as using my time more productively. Effectively managing my time
will improve my life balance, decision making, increase my productivity and boost my
confidence. Things will fall into place for me as they should in other areas once I prioritize time
management.
My plan to starting my journey to wellness is prioritizing my needs so that I can be the best
version of myself. I would like to keep a journal of the things I want and to get done. This will
help me keep track and prioritize tasks. I also plan on focusing on a daily routine that helps me
balance my work, home, and school life. This will prevent me from becoming overwhelmed and
reduce my anxiety. I am willing to seek my own professional counseling to aid in my journey to
overall wellness. I am willing to change my lifestyle, which includes exercise, changing my
eating habits and sleeping habits as well as reducing screentime.
Conclusion
In conclusion, professional counselors must engage in self-reflection and awareness on a
constant basis to ensure that the avoid becoming impairment. Impairment can have ethical
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Counselor Impairment and Wellness
implications if not monitored and the counselor does not engage in wellness practices. Self-care
is a critical skill that requires regular attention to avoid counselors becoming stressed and
impaired. It is important for professionals in the helping fields to take care of themselves so
they do not cause harm to their clients, as it is their ethical duty. Growth is an on ongoing
process that takes time to develop. Counselors should recognize the signs of apartment to
intervene to promote their overall well-being.
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Counselor Impairment and Wellness
References
American Counseling Association. (2014). 2014 ACA code of ethics.
Compassion fatigue: Signs, symptoms, and how to Cope. Canadian Medical Association. (2020).
https://www.cma.ca/physician-wellness-hub/content/compassion-fatigue-signs-symptoms-and-
how-cope
Connecticut Department of Public Health. CT.gov. (n.d.). https://portal.ct.gov/DPH
Robino, A. E. (2019). Global compassion fatigue: A new perspective in counselor wellness. The
professional counselor, 9(4), 272–284. https://doi.org/10.15241/aer.9.4.272
Simmons, R. T., Lilley, S. C., & Kuhnley, A. (2020). Introduction to counseling: Integration of faith
professional identity and clinical practice. Kendall Hunt.
