This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of school counselors facing burnout, with a focus on identifying contributing factors and evaluating the role of self-care in mitigating these effects. Through semistructured interviews with nine school counselors from K-12 public settings in the mid-Atlantic and southern United States, all of whom had at least 5 years of experience and reported experiencing burnout, key findings highlight the multifaceted challenges contributing to burnout, including excessive student caseloads, non-counseling administrative duties, and strained relationships with supervisors unfamiliar with the counseling role. Participants described their roles as encompassing a broad spectrum of responsibilities, including academic planning, social and emotional support, and career guidance for students. However, they reported feeling constrained by overwhelming demands, such as managing caseloads that often exceeded 400 students--far above the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250-student ratio. This imbalance hindered their ability to provide adequate individual support and forced many into non-counseling duties, including administrative tasks like testing coordination, which detracted from their primary counseling functions and led to significant stress and burnout. Self-efficacy and self-care practices, including prayer, exercise, and therapy, emerged as significant factors in managing burnout; however, participants expressed the need for greater institutional support. The findings underscore the necessity for systemic changes in workload distribution, role clarity, and organizational backing for self-care practices to enhance counselor well-being and retention within the profession. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]