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Observed Differences in Burnout Between Master's-Level and Doctoral-Level Psychotherapists.
Vincent P Corcoran1, Dean McKay2
1Department of Psychology, Marist University, Poughkeepsie, NY, USA. vincent.corcoran@marist.edu.
The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research
|June 11, 2026
Summary
Master's-level psychotherapists report higher depersonalization, a burnout symptom, especially when lacking caseload control. Doctoral-level therapists show no such link, suggesting autonomy may mitigate burnout.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Mental Health Professionals
Background:
- Burnout is a significant concern in psychotherapy.
- Research on burnout differences across psychotherapist training levels is limited.
- Existing studies often focus on burnout risks and consequences, not training-level variations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare burnout dimensions (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, personal accomplishment) between master's-level and doctoral-level psychotherapists.
- To investigate the moderating roles of training level and caseload control on the relationship between treatment hours and burnout.
Main Methods:
- A sample of 108 licensed psychotherapists from varying training levels were surveyed.
- Burnout symptoms were assessed using established measures.
- Exploratory regression analyses examined the interplay between training level, caseload control, treatment hours, and burnout.
Main Results:
- Master's-level psychotherapists reported significantly higher depersonalization than doctoral-level psychotherapists.
- Training level moderated the association between weekly treatment hours and depersonalization.
- Caseload control further moderated this relationship: master's-level therapists with less control experienced more depersonalization with increased client hours.
Conclusions:
- Burnout, particularly depersonalization, may disproportionately affect master's-level psychotherapists.
- Enhancing autonomy and control over caseloads for master's-level therapists could be a strategy to reduce burnout.
- Further research is needed to explore these dynamics and inform supportive interventions for psychotherapists.
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