The ‘perfect’ counsellor: personality factors and multidimensional perfectionism

ABSTRACT

Personality factors and multidimensional perfectionism have not been researched among professional counsellors. This study examined the relationship between the Big Five (John, O. P., Naumann, L. P., & Soto, C. J. [2008]. Paradigm shift to the integrative Big Five trait taxonomy: History, measurement, and conceptual issues. In O. P. John, R. W. Robins, & L. A. Pervin [Eds.], Handbook of personality: Theory and research [pp. 114–158]. New York, NY: Guilford Press) personality factors with Hewitt and Flett’s (1991. Perfectionism in the self and social contexts: Conceptualization, assessment, and association with psychopathology. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 60, 456–470) three dimensions of perfectionism among counsellors (N = 257) using a canonical correlation. All canonical functions were statistically significant, explaining 43.8% of the total variance within the data. Correlations across variable sets indicate a significant correlation between neuroticism and socially prescribed perfection (r = .430; p < .001), neuroticism and self-oriented perfection (r = .297; p < .001), extraversion and socially prescribed perfection (r = −.231; p = .002), conscientiousness and socially prescribed perfection (r = −.180; p = .015), and agreeableness and others-oriented perfection (r = −.175; p = .018).

KEYWORDS:

• Perfection
• Big Five personality factors
• neuroticism
• counsellor wellness
• professional development
• canonical correlation

Acknowledgement

The author acknowledges the support of the University of Southern Mississippi, USA, for this project.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributor

Chelsey L. Holden is the Program Coordinator and Assistant Professor of School Counseling at the University of Southern Mississippi, USA. Dr. Holden is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, licensed professional counsellor, and a national certified counsellor. Her areas of research expertise include training and education practices of counsellors and family therapists, compassion fatigue among helping professionals, self-care and wellness practices of helping professionals, perfectionism, professional communication, romantic relationship satisfaction, and financial wellness.

ORCID

Chelsey L. Holden http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3380-895X