Differences in Counselors' Psychological Burnout by Clusters of Developmental Levels and Authenticity

In this study, the difference in psychological burnout according to the cluster was verified to find out the effect of psychological burnout according to the level of development and authenticity of psychological counselors. The subjects of the study were 287 psychological counselors, and the collected data were analyzed with the SPSS 26.0 program. As a result of the study, first, depending on the level of development and authenticity of the psychological counselor, it was derived into a total of four clusters: 'novice counselors with low authenticity', 'novice counselors seeking authenticity', 'career counselors seeking authenticity', and 'professional counselors with high authenticity'. Second, the difference between psychological burnout and sub-factors of each cluster according to the level of development and authenticity of the psychological counselor was verified. As a result, it was confirmed that psychological burnout and sub-factors such as emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment were the highest in the 'novice counselors with low authenticity' cluster. On the other hand, psychological burnout was found to be the lowest in the 'professional counselors with high authenticity' cluster. The significance of this study is that it revealed that the developmental level of counselors and their level of authenticity can act as protective factors to prevent psychological burnout.