Back to search

Virginia Tech

Compassion in Professional Counseling: A Delphi Study

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

Compassion is related to the work of counselors, yet scholars have not agreed upon a standard definition of compassion beyond a superficial dictionary explanation. A Delphi study was conducted to discover the opinions of a panel of counseling experts on the subject of compassion. The purpose of the study was to identify and define compassion as it relates to the context of professional counseling, as well as identify associated skills, attributes, and behaviors. The study also explored how experienced counselors distinguish compassion as it is experienced or expressed professionally and personally. Fifteen panelists participated in three rounds of data collection via online survey. Panelists also received feedback from subsequent rounds. Themes emerged on perceptions of compassion, skills and abilities that convey compassion, situations that create compassion obstruction, and support of knowledge, training, and education on compassion. The results indicate that assumptions exist on understanding what compassion is and how to express it in a professional manner. Results further show that compassion is an understudied and unnoticed concept that needs more examination.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Doctor of Philosophy
Level thesis:degree_level
doctoral
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Counselor Education
Department dc:contributor.department
Education, Community College
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
2020

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Raymond, Karen Denise
Chairs dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Bodenhorn, Nancy E.
  • Farmer, Laura Boyd
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Kniola, David J.
  • Nelson, Amy

Subjects

dc:subject × 4

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
vt_gsexam:24259
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/97192

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Raymond, Karen Denise. Compassion in Professional Counseling: A Delphi Study. doctoral thesis, Virginia Tech, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/97192