Counselors’ Years of Practice and Age as Factors for Professional Quality of Life

This study investigates the influence of counselors’ age and years of professional practice on their professional quality of life (ProQOL), operationalized through the dimensions of compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress (STS). Utilizing a multivariate analytical approach, data were collected within the Philippine context to address gaps in culturally relevant empirical evidence. Findings indicate that both age and experience significantly predict professional quality of life: older and more experienced counselors report higher levels of compassion satisfaction and lower levels of burnout, suggesting that developmental maturity and experiential learning enhance emotional resilience and professional fulfillment. Conversely, STS levels appear unaffected by age and experience, highlighting the predominance of client trauma exposure over practitioner characteristics in influencing this domain. These results corroborate theoretical models of counselor development and highlight the need for trauma-informed organizational policies to mitigate occupational hazards associated with vicarious trauma. The study contributes to global ProQOL literature and informs culturally appropriate support strategies for counselors across career stages.