From Empathy to Intimidation: A Study on Bullying Among School Counselors

Abstract

School counseling is fundamentally an empathy-dependent profession; however, workplace bullying creates a significant ethical paradox where professionals trained to foster psychological safety find themselves in environments defined by intimidation. This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of workplace bullying among school counselors in the Philippines and the organizational conditions contributing to a perceived shift from empathy to intimidation. Thirty-five school counselors participated in semi-structured interviews analyzed through Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis. The narratives revealed a disturbing progression: bullying manifested through subtle verbal belittlement and 'chismis'-driven exclusion, yet was structurally anchored by weak leadership and heavy workloads. These experiences did more than cause distress; they fundamentally reshaped the counselors' professional identities and their ability to remain present for their students. The findings introduce a 'Dynamic Equilibrium Model' of workplace bullying, positioning leadership neutrality and structural accountability as critical pivot points for restoration. Ultimately, the study underscores that workplace bullying is both an occupational well-being issue and a service-quality concern, requiring psychologically safe systems to preserve the integrity of counseling services