Exploring Therapist Boredom: An Integrative Review

Résumé

The purpose of this review was to provide a comprehensive understanding of boredom among helping professionals. A literature search was performed on four databases: ERIC, ProQuest, PsychINFO, and Web of Science. Of the 412 records screened, a total of 19 studies met inclusion criteria. Thematic analysis was used to interpret the collected data. Results showed three groups of therapist boredom antecedents: therapist factors, client factors, and therapy factors. The therapist boredom indicators were found largely to be feeling words ranging from unpleasant low-arousal items (e.g., “tired”) to unpleasant high-arousal items (e.g., “irritated”) and included difficulty concentrating (e.g., “disengaged”) as well as feelings of emotional distance (e.g., “aloof”). Thirteen therapist boredom management strategies were also found. Our results provide information for helping professionals to improve their well-being, their job satisfaction, and their professional competency through an increased knowledge of, and resources to manage, their boredom.