Date of Conferral
2022
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Counselor Education and Supervision
Advisor
Corinne Bridges
Abstract
Moral distress, an understudied phenomenon among the counseling profession, has been defined as an experience of knowing the right thing to do but being institutionally prevented from doing what is believed to be right. This phenomenon often occurs in hierarchical relationships, such as those between student and teacher or supervisor and supervisee, and may lead to psychological impairment, deviation from ethical standards, and professional burnout, which threatens the ability of professional counselors to initiate and maintain healthy professional relationships. The purpose of this descriptive, phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of six master’s level students attending counselor training programs accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and who have experienced moral distress. Data were collected through semistructured interviews, and the results were analyzed using Giorgi’s descriptive phenomenological psychological method. The resultant themes are situations in which moral distress was experienced, experiences of addressing moral distress, feelings associated with the experience of moral distress, and impacts of experiences of moral distress. The results provide a framework for future research to understand the nature of moral distress and its possible impacts on professional counseling, contributing to the development of training for future professional counselors and informing counseling programs accredited by CACREP.
Recommended Citation
Stevens, Matthew, "Moral Distress Among Master’s Counseling Students Attending a CACREP Accredited Counselor Training Program" (2022). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 13802.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/13802
