Self-esteem and Counsellors Psychologists burnout

Self-esteem and Counsellors/Psychologists

A number of studies have focused on self-esteem among counsellors (Butler & Constantine,

2005; Duys & Hobson, 2004, Norton, Gillis & Cramer, 1983; Yu, Lee & Lee, 2007). Butler and

Constantine (2005) dealt with collective self-esteem and burnout. In their study, they concluded

that higher self-esteem is associated with lower burnout. They also found that older counsellors

who were employed longer reported high burnout compared to their younger counterparts. Duys

and Hobson (2004) focused on reconceptualising self-esteem and developing a model for

counsellors. Their aim was to develop a model for counsellors to understand the evolution of

self-esteem. They concluded that having a model can help predict and attend to normal

Yu et al. (2007) studied the relationship of counsellors’ self-esteem, job dissatisfaction and client

relationship. They found that counsellors’ perception about their profession affects their job

satisfaction. They also realised that job dissatisfaction is negatively related to self-esteem. In

addition, self-esteem has a crucial impact on client-counsellor relationships (Yu et al. 2007).

Pierce and Gardner (2004) asserted that self-esteem is a hierarchical phenomenon that consists of

global self-esteem and task or situation specific self-esteem. Further, they reported that self-

esteem is developed around different dimensions like physical, academic and mood (p.592).

In addition, the impact of self-esteem on counsellors has been discussed. Walz (1991) contended

that counsellors’ self-esteem is a vital determinant in the counselling relationship between client

and counsellor. Butler and Constantine (2005) observed that counsellors’ own perceptions of

1961; Cooley, 1902; Crisp & Turner, 2007; James, 1950; Mead, 1934; Nathaniel, 1986,).

However, this concept must be sifted through related ideas in their writings. What it means is

that the authors did not use this term but used terms that seemed to mean more or less the same

thing as self-esteem.

William James (1890/1950): He is considered one of the earliest scholars of the self. He defined

the self as “the ratio of our actualities to our supposed potentialities” (James, 1890, p. 296). He

further explained that the self psychologically encompasses all the attributes to which the

individual would refer as me; that is the body, abilities and reputation. He contended that if any

of these parts are diminished or enhanced, the individual behaves as if they have been diminished

or enhanced. According to him, each person bases his self-love and self-esteem on the success

and failures of what has been chosen as the truest self. He explains that there are three major

constituents of the self namely: material self, social self and spiritual self. He concluded that

based on three constituents, self-esteem is the discrepancies between the ideal self and the

perceived self (Bednar & Peterson, 1995; Crisp & Turner, 2007).

Alfred Adler: He was a psychiatrist concerned with the impact of the family and society upon

the individual. According to Crisp and Turner, (2007) Adler believed that individuals “construct”

has several parts and aspects. To begin with, he mentioned the social self. Accordingly, people

define themselves by their perceptions of the way others define them. He called it the “looking

glass self”. For him the social self arises from the individual’s observations of how others

respond to the self.

In addition Bednar and Peterson, (1995) reported that Cooley (1902) explained that the social

self develops by individual perception of how he/she must appear to another person, secondly by

individual interpretation of how other people evaluate them and finally the individual’s response

to the perceived judgement (Bednar & Peterson, 1995; Cooley, 1902).

George Mead: Bednar and Peterson, (1995) reported that Mead, (1934) stated that Language

and society are essential in the development of the self, because it is through interaction that

defences have a role in the development of self-esteem. He emphasised the

importance of self-discipline on development of self-esteem (Allport, 1961).

Rollo May: May (1983) conceptualised that the self is known as being; it is a

pattern of potentialities. He further states individual awareness of being and the

relationship of their awareness to expression of potentialities is the pivotal balance

between mental health and neurosis. He contends that when people choose to

block awareness; that is called repression. He further acknowledges that

psychological health requires individual listening to one’s own being and

aloneness. For him, this forms the importance of establishing autonomy to self-

esteem (May, 1983).

Abraham Maslow: Maslow (1970) differentiated between self-esteem and

reputation. He stated that self-esteem is perception of one’s own worth, whereas

reputation is perception of worth in the eyes of others (Bednar & Peterson, 1995;

Maslow, 1970).

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