Relationship between forms of counsellor supervision and level of burnout among VCT counsellors in selected counties in Kenya

Counselling is an emotionally draining occupation that expose counsellors to overwhelming levels of burnout. To overcome this inevitable professional hazard, the counselling profession provides for counsellor supervision as the mechanism to mitigate against high levels of burnout. Counsellor supervision takes three main forms including individual, group and peer supervision. This paper examines the relationship between relationship between the three forms of counsellor supervision and level of burnout among VCT counsellors and seeks to establish which of the three forms of supervision has the greatest influence in managing the levels of burnout. Data was collected from a sample of 174 VCT counsellors in 13 counties which had the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence in kenya. The chi square test and factor analysis were used in the analysis of data . The study established that a relationship existed between the three forms of counsellor supervision and levels of burnout among VCT counsellors. It also established that individual supervision counselling had the most significant influence on level of burnout followed by peer and group supervision respectively. The study recommended that VCT counsellors increase their frequency of counsellor supervision particullary individual supervision and that organizations dealing with VCT counselling should increase the number of counsellor supervisors inorder to increase access to more intensive supervision, measures which would contribute significantly towards managing levels of burnout among the practitioners.