شناسایی عوامل شکل‌دهنده فرسودگی روانی در درمانگران تازه‌کار

نیما یوسفی; عاطفه نجفی

Authors

Nima Yousefi Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran Author
Atefeh Najafi Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

Keywords:

psychological burnout, novice therapists, thematic analysis, clinical supervision, self-care, psychotherapy

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the factors shaping psychological burnout among novice therapists in Tehran. This qualitative study was conducted using thematic analysis. The participants were 19 novice therapists working in counseling centers, psychotherapy clinics, and mental health service settings in Tehran. They were selected through purposive criterion-based sampling. Inclusion criteria consisted of holding at least a master’s degree in psychology or counseling, having less than five years of clinical practice, direct experience in providing psychotherapy, and willingness to participate in the study. Data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews. Interviews continued until theoretical saturation was reached; initial saturation occurred at the sixteenth interview, and three additional interviews were conducted to confirm data adequacy. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using NVivo software. The analysis followed the main phases of thematic analysis, including familiarization with the data, initial coding, theme searching, theme reviewing, defining and naming themes, and producing the final analytic report. Data analysis led to the identification of four main categories: “professional role pressure and ambiguity of therapist identity,” “emotional erosion caused by continuous exposure to clients’ suffering,” “organizational insecurity and weak professional support,” and “disturbance in self-care boundaries and personal life.” Participants described psychological burnout not merely as work-related fatigue, but as a gradual process shaped by performance anxiety, doubts about therapeutic competence, post-session rumination, professional loneliness, financial pressure, insufficient supervision, and difficulty separating personal life from therapeutic work. The findings indicated that psychological burnout among novice therapists is a multidimensional and context-dependent phenomenon emerging from the interaction of individual, emotional, professional, and organizational factors. Strengthening supportive clinical supervision, training therapists in emotional regulation, managing caseloads, developing peer-support networks, and institutionalizing self-care practices may reduce the risk of burnout during the early years of therapeutic practice.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

Cook, R. M., Fye, H. J., Jones, J. L., & Baltrinic, E. R. (2021). Self-reported symptoms of burnout in novice professional counselors: A content analysis. The Professional Counselor, 11(1), 31–45. https://doi.org/10.15241/rmc.11.1.31

Demirtzidou, M., & Tragantzopoulou, P. (2025). Mitigating burnout: A qualitative exploration of clinical supervision’s impact on novice psychotherapists. European Journal of Psychotherapy & Counselling, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/13642537.2024.2438924

Figley, C. R. (2002). Compassion fatigue: Psychotherapists’ chronic lack of self care. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 58(11), 1433–1441. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.10090

Freudenberger, H. J. (1974). Staff burn-out. Journal of Social Issues, 30(1), 159–165. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4560.1974.tb00706.x

Guest, G., Bunce, A., & Johnson, L. (2006). How many interviews are enough? An experiment with data saturation and variability. Field Methods, 18(1), 59–82. https://doi.org/10.1177/1525822X05279903

Johnson, J., Corker, C., & O’Connor, D. B. (2020). Burnout in psychological therapists: A cross-sectional study investigating the role of supervisory relationship quality. Clinical Psychologist, 24(3), 223–235. https://doi.org/10.1111/cp.12206

Kounenou, K., Kalamatianos, A., Nikoltsiou, P., & Kourmousi, N. (2023). The interplay among empathy, vicarious trauma, and burnout in Greek mental health practitioners. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(4), 3503. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20043503

Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. SAGE.

Maslach, C., & Jackson, S. E. (1981). The measurement of experienced burnout. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 2(2), 99–113. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.4030020205

Maslach, C., Schaufeli, W. B., & Leiter, M. P. (2001). Job burnout. Annual Review of Psychology, 52, 397–422. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.52.1.397

Pearlman, L. A., & Mac Ian, P. S. (1995). Vicarious traumatization: An empirical study of the effects of trauma work on trauma therapists. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 26(6), 558–565. https://doi.org/10.1037/0735-7028.26.6.558

Simionato, G. K., & Simpson, S. (2018). Personal risk factors associated with burnout among psychotherapists: A systematic review of the literature. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 74(9), 1431–1456. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.22615

Skovholt, T. M., & Rønnestad, M. H. (2003). Struggles of the novice counselor and therapist. Journal of Career Development, 30(1), 45–58. https://doi.org/10.1177/089484530303000103

Tragantzopoulou, P., Giannouli, V., Filippou, A., & Demirtzidou, M. (2024). Burnout and coping strategies in integrative psychotherapists: Findings from qualitative interviews. Healthcare, 12(18), 1820. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12181820

Van Hoy, A., & Rzeszutek, M. (2022). Burnout and psychological wellbeing among psychotherapists: A systematic review. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 928191. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.928191

Vivolo, M., Owen, J., & Fisher, P. (2024). Psychological therapists’ experiences of burnout: A qualitative systematic review and meta-synthesis. Mental Health & Prevention, 33, 200253. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mhp.2022.200253

World Health Organization. (2019). Burn-out an occupational phenomenon: International Classification of Diseases. World Health Organization.

Yang, Y., & Hayes, J. A. (2020). Causes and consequences of burnout among mental health professionals: A practice-oriented review of recent empirical literature. Psychotherapy, 57(3), 426–436. https://doi.org/10.1037/pst0000317