아동심리상담사의 직무경험 및 디지털치료제 인식: 경력 단계별 차이를 중심으로

초록

This study examines the workforce status, work experiences by career stage, and digital therapeutics (DTx) perceptions of child psychological counselors in South Korea. Data from 150 counselors and trainees affiliated with the Korean Association of Child Psychotherapy were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, one-way ANOVA, and inductive content analysis (κ=.82) within a mixed-methods design. Despite 96.0% holding graduate-level education, 62.0% were employed part-time or freelance, with regular employment of 7.5% among novice and 47.1% among experienced counselors. Clinical difficulties varied by career stage: novice counselors struggled with parent consultation and rapport formation, while experienced counselors cited resource shortages and short-term counseling limitations. Burnout was attributed to low compensation, employment instability, heavy workload, and emotional labor regardless of career level. Institutionalization of a national licensure system (48.3%) was the most urgent policy demand. Counselors displayed cautious DTx attitudes across all career stages, identifying clinical evidence and therapist role preservation as core conditions for acceptance and as top-ranked development priorities. Counselors perceived digital tools as complementary to, rather than replacements for, direct therapy. These findings suggest that work experiences and DTx perceptions share a structural context of employment instability and insufficient support. Support differentiated by career stage and national licensure institutionalization must precede child-specific DTx guideline and policy development.

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