Life Satisfaction Predicts Positive Workplace Outcomes Among Filipino Guidance Counselors

Abstract

Correspondence concerning this article can be addressed to Niño Jose Mateo, Counseling and Educational Psychology Department, 1602 Br. Andrew Gonzales Hall, College of Education, De La Salle University, 2401 Taft Avenue, Manila. Email: nino.mateo@dlsu.edu.ph One of the primary contributions of literature on positive psychology is providing strong evidence for the link between happiness and success (Lyubomirsky, King, & Diener, 2005). Happy individuals evaluate their life as satisfying, report an overall sense of well-being, and are oriented towards personal growth and goal attainment. The study tested the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions (Fredrickson, 1998; 2003) in the field of counseling practice. The researchers hypothesized that counselors’ life satisfaction would predict outcomes relevant in practice: counseling self-efficacy, emotional awareness, and flow state. Participants (n = 137) completed measures of counseling self-efficacy, flow state, life satisfaction, and emotional awareness. Age, gender, civil status, and degree earned were identified as covariates and their effects were controlled in the regression analyses. Findings revealed that life satisfaction positively predicted flow state and emotional awareness. Counselors who expressed greater satisfaction with their lives seem to see the counseling experience as rewarding and are more attuned to their emotions. This finding is consistent with the key postulate of broaden-and-build theory on the beneficial consequences of positive affect on psychological resources.