Date
4-29-2026
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)
Chair
Rochelle Dunn
Keywords
High School Counselors, Counselor Well-Being, Post Pandemic, Mental Health, Compassion Fatigue, Trauma Exposure
Disciplines
Counseling | Education
Recommended Citation
White Points, Shadiqa Techell, "The High Cost of Care: A Georgia Qualitative Study of High School Counselors' Responsibilities and Their Well-Being" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8286.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8286
Abstract
Secondary school counselors play a vital role in supporting the students’ academic, social, emotional, and vocational development. However, the increasing scope of their duties - especially in response to increased demands on student mental health and the lasting consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic - has led to an increase in the emotional and psychological demands placed on them. While there is a large body of research examining student outcomes, qualitative studies that analyze the ways counselors understand the effect of their professional roles on their personal well-being are scarce. The current qualitative study assumed a hermeneutic phenomenological orientation to examine the qualitative lives of seven secondary school counselors in the metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia area. Semi structured interviews were used to clarify counselors’ perceptions of, and expose, the effect of their job responsibilities, exposure to student trauma, compassion fatigue, and institutional expectations on their emotional and psychological wellbeing. Thematic analysis indicated several salient constructs, namely emotional exhaustion, blurring professional boundaries, the ever-growing caseload demands, lack of supervisory support, and the need for intentional self-care and help from the system. Results show that while counselors demonstrate resiliency and unwavering dedication to student success, ongoing exposure to trauma and lack of institutional support can negatively impact their personal well-being and professional sustainability. The study highlights the need for organized supervision, manageable caseloads, and organizational recognition of counselor wellness as necessary components to maintain effective school counseling programs. Consequentially, implications on educational leadership and policy development are delineated.
