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Abstract

School counselors play a distinct role in the support of the academic, career, and personal/social needs of their students. However, in 2023, 40% of schools found it difficult to fill open school counselor positions (National Center for Education Statistics, 2023). While there is a dearth of research related to school counselor burnout, little research explores occupational turnover among school counselors. The purpose of this study was to explore factors leading to school counselors’ turnover decisions in order to advocate for professionals in the field and student wellness. The research question that guided our study included: “What factors do professional school counselors identify as impacting their decision to leave the profession?”. We utilized Q-methodology to address this research question because it allows a phenomenon to be explored both quantitatively and qualitatively. 39 opinion statements reflecting reasons for leaving the profession were developed, and 13 school counselors participated in sorting these statements. Data analysis revealed three distinct factors influencing counselors’ decisions to leave the profession: (1) exhaustion due to job demands, (2) lack of support from administrators, and (3) exhaustion due to systemic challenges. The participant interview findings enhanced the factors identified and suggest advocacy burnout and loss of hope as contributing to school counselors’ decisions to exit the profession. Implications for school counselors, school and district administration, and counselor educators are discussed, suggesting potential interventions to address attrition rates and promote a more sustainable work environment for counselors within educational settings.

Keywords

advocacy burnout burnout occupational turnover retention strategies school counselors

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Beyond Burnout: Decoding School Counselors’ Departure From the Profession

Abstract

Keywords

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