Self-care in the mental health field is essential to counteract burnout in clinicians. This study uses the hermeneutic phenomenological approach to analyze the lived experiences of Licensed Counselors (LC) in Outpatient Mental Health Clinics (OMHC). The researcher took an in depth look at the level of support and their lived experience while they practice self-care. The study consisted of individual interviews and a writing prompt with the LCs. In order to be considered for the study, the participants had to be working 30 hours and employed at an OMHC. The study was conducted with the hope of understanding better modes of advocating for LC’s in the field, and also better ways of practicing self-care for clinicians in the field. The findings were divided with half the clinicians practicing self-care and half not being able to do so due to productivity measures and unsupportive environments. Most experienced support from supervisors, but there was also a split with working in a supportive environment and a toxic environment that contributed to burnout.
","abstract_html":"<p>Self-care in the mental health field is essential to counteract burnout in clinicians. This study uses the hermeneutic phenomenological approach to analyze the lived experiences of Licensed Counselors (LC) in Outpatient Mental Health Clinics (OMHC). The researcher took an in depth look at the level of support and their lived experience while they practice self-care. The study consisted of individual interviews and a writing prompt with the LCs. In order to be considered for the study, the participants had to be working 30 hours and employed at an OMHC. The study was conducted with the hope of understanding better modes of advocating for LC’s in the field, and also better ways of practicing self-care for clinicians in the field. The findings were divided with half the clinicians practicing self-care and half not being able to do so due to productivity measures and unsupportive environments. Most experienced support from supervisors, but there was also a split with working in a supportive environment and a toxic environment that contributed to burnout.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Dunn, Sadé"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Education","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Counselor Education","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Dr. Ileana Ungureanu","Dr. Don Trahan Jr.","Dr. Tamekia Bell"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2020,"date_issued":"2020-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2020-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:24:40Z","subjects":["licensed counselors","outpatient mental health clinics","self-care","productivity","burnout","Counseling"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://opus.govst.edu/theses/157","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Dr. Ileana Ungureanu","Dr. Don Trahan Jr.","Dr. Tamekia Bell"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Dunn, Sadé"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2024-08-19T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Counselor Education"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Education"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["licensed counselors","outpatient mental health clinics","self-care","productivity","burnout","Counseling"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://opus.govst.edu/theses/157"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Self-care in the mental health field is essential to counteract burnout in clinicians. This study uses the hermeneutic phenomenological approach to analyze the lived experiences of Licensed Counselors (LC) in Outpatient Mental Health Clinics (OMHC). The researcher took an in depth look at the level of support and their lived experience while they practice self-care. The study consisted of individual interviews and a writing prompt with the LCs. In order to be considered for the study, the participants had to be working 30 hours and employed at an OMHC. The study was conducted with the hope of understanding better modes of advocating for LC’s in the field, and also better ways of practicing self-care for clinicians in the field. The findings were divided with half the clinicians practicing self-care and half not being able to do so due to productivity measures and unsupportive environments. Most experienced support from supervisors, but there was also a split with working in a supportive environment and a toxic environment that contributed to burnout.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Approach to Analyzing How Licensed Counselors Practice Self-Care"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Dr. Ileana Ungureanu","Dr. Don Trahan Jr.","Dr. Tamekia Bell"],"dc:creator":["Dunn, Sadé"],"dc:date.available":["2024-08-19T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Self-care in the mental health field is essential to counteract burnout in clinicians. This study uses the hermeneutic phenomenological approach to analyze the lived experiences of Licensed Counselors (LC) in Outpatient Mental Health Clinics (OMHC). The researcher took an in depth look at the level of support and their lived experience while they practice self-care. The study consisted of individual interviews and a writing prompt with the LCs. In order to be considered for the study, the participants had to be working 30 hours and employed at an OMHC. The study was conducted with the hope of understanding better modes of advocating for LC’s in the field, and also better ways of practicing self-care for clinicians in the field. The findings were divided with half the clinicians practicing self-care and half not being able to do so due to productivity measures and unsupportive environments. Most experienced support from supervisors, but there was also a split with working in a supportive environment and a toxic environment that contributed to burnout.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://opus.govst.edu/theses/157"],"dc:subject":["licensed counselors","outpatient mental health clinics","self-care","productivity","burnout","Counseling"],"dc:title":["A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Approach to Analyzing How Licensed Counselors Practice Self-Care"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Counselor Education"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Education"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:24:40Z"}