Compassion FatigueNCT07718035
Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Moving to Emptiness Technique in Reducing Counsellors' Compassion Fatigue
A study testing Moving to Emptiness Technique (MET) in people with Compassion Fatigue, run by University of Malaya.
Trial summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if Moving to Emptiness Technique (MET) works to treat counselors' compassion fatigue (CF). It will also learn about the effectiveness of MET on counselors' professional quality of life and counselling self-estimate. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 60 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Compassion Fatigue
- What is being tested?
- Moving to Emptiness Technique (MET)
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 60 participants
- Where
- No sites listed yet
- Study dates
- 27 Jul 2026to 1 Jul 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 60 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Adults (aged 18-60)
- Counsellors who have worked in the counselling profession for at least one year
- Counsellors who self-report experiencing CF symptoms
- Able to commit to attend the 4 weekly online sessions of 50 minutes' duration
- Counsellors based in China
Who cannot join
- Counsellors have received psychological therapy for their CF within the last 6 months
- Counsellors who intend to participate in other psychological therapy for their CF besides MET during the study duration
- Counsellors who self-report experiencing a traumatic event within past one year
- Counsellors who self-report severe mental illness within past one year
Trial locations and contacts
No sites are listed yet. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
About this study
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if Moving to Emptiness Technique (MET) works to treat counselors' compassion fatigue (CF). It will also learn about the effectiveness of MET on counselors' professional quality of life and counselling self-estimate. The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Does MET reduce counselors' compassion fatigue? Researchers will compare MET intervention to a waitlist control group to see if MET works to treat counselor burnout.
Read more
Participants will:
- Receive MET intervention for 4 sessions, once a week, 50 minutes per session.
- Fill the questionnaires tests at three timepoints: before the intervention, immediately after the intervention phase and 4 weeks after the intervention.
Read the detailed description
Compassion fatigue (CF) is a type of caregiver burnout which is developed by those persons who interact with traumatized individuals. Psychological counsellors are at high risk of CF. Interventions for counsellors' CF from former research included mindfulness-based interventions, and group psychotherapy. Moving to emptiness technique (MET) is a native Chinese psychotherapy, targeting to eliminate negative physical and emotional symptoms. MET is effective for many mental illness and physical symptoms, including depression, agoraphobia, insomnia, back pain caused by ankylosing spondylitis. However, the effectiveness of MET in alleviating counsellors' CF has not been empirically studied. Thus, this study aims to explore the effectiveness and feasibility of the MET intervention on CF among psychological counsellors, and to explore the effectiveness of MET on additional outcomes including professional quality of life and counselling self-estimate.
Participants will be recruited using convenience sampling through online channels relevant to psychological counsellors, including social media, professional forums and WeChat groups. Participants will also be recruited through peer networks whereby researchers' colleagues will be invited to share the study information within their professional circles. Recruitment will be initiated by distributing an online study invitation containing a brief overview of the research and a link to the participant information sheet through Wenjuan Xing. Individuals who express interest will be directed to the main researcher from whom they will receive detailed study information, complete the initial eligibility screening, and provide informed consent electronically. Eligible participants will then be scheduled for an online interview to confirm inclusion and exclusion criteria. All recruitment, screening, and enrolment procedures will be conducted remotely to accommodate participants' availability and ensure accessibility for practitioners across locations.
This study is a four-week two-armed trial. One group will receive the MET therapy (intervention group) and the other group (waitlist control group) will have their usual care while being on a waitlist and will participate in MET therapy after the trial is over. After registration, participants need to fill out a personal information questionnaire and a pre-test questionnaire first. Then, they will be randomly assigned to the intervention group or control group. After 4 weeks, participants will need to take another post-test, and after another 4 week, they will fill out the tracking questionnaire. This study will take 2 months, with 4 weeks' intervention stage and 4 weeks' tracking effectiveness stage. Participants in the intervention group are required to participate in a 4-week online intervention using MET (once a week and 50 minutes for each session) and fill out personal information questionnaires and test questionnaires. The MET sessions will be conducted by trained MET professional counsellors. Participants in the waitlist control group also need to fill out personal information questionnaires and test questionnaires but will proceed with your usual care. After the trial is over, they will have an opportunity to receive the same 4-week online MET as the experimental group.
- Conditions
- Compassion Fatigue
- Being tested
- Moving to Emptiness Technique (MET)
- Keywords
- counselors, compassion fatigue, burnout, Moving to Emptiness Technique, Psychological Intervention, China
- Medical subject headings
- Compassion Fatigue, Burnout, Psychological
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Moving to Emptiness Technique (MET)Behavioural
The intervention is Moving to Emptiness Technique (MET), a native Chinese psychotherapy that integrates traditional Chinese cultural beliefs which focusses on the importance of the inner (psychological) world while including somatic (bodily) relaxation and the operational process of cognitive behavioural therapy. The delivery of MET intervention would be once a week, 50 minutes per session, across 4-weeks, to ensure the participants have enough rest between each session.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| MET intervention | Experimental | Participants in the intervention group will receive MET intervention during the trial. Receives: Behavioral: Moving to Emptiness Technique (MET) |
| Waitlist control group | No intervention | Participants assigned to the waitlist control group receive no study intervention during the trial period. After completion of the final follow-up assessment, they will be offered the Moving to Emptiness Technique (MET). |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Compassion Fatigue
Chinese validated Compassion Fatigue Questionnaire (Source: Wang Junting, 2024). The questionnaire contains 10 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Total scores range from 10 to 50, with higher scores indicating greater compassion fatigue.
Measured: Baseline, Week 4, Week 8
Secondary outcomes (2)
Professional Quality of Life scale
Chinese validated Professional Quality of Life scale (Source: Zheng et al., 2013). The questionnaire consists of 30 items and assesses Compassion Satisfaction, Burnout, and Secondary Traumatic Stress. Each subscale score ranges from 10 to 50, with higher Compassion Satisfaction scores indicating greater compassion satisfaction, and higher Burnout and Secondary Traumatic Stress scores indicating worse burnout and secondary traumatic stress, respectively.
Measured: Baseline, Week 4, Week 8
Counselling Self-Estimate
Counselling Self-Estimate Inventory (Source: Yuen et al., 2004). The questionnaire contains 33 items rated on a 6-point Likert scale. Total scores range from 33 to 198, with higher scores indicating greater counselling self-efficacy.
Measured: Baseline, Week 4, Week 8
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted21 Jul 2026
- Study start27 Jul 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion1 Jun 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion1 Jul 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Compassion FatigueStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of MalayaThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to the MET intervention group or waitlist control group.
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 60 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Malaya
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Yew Kong Lee, PhD, Principal investigator, Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07718035
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- UM.TNC(P&I)/UMREC/3/6535
- Status last verified
- Jul 2026
- First submitted
- 16 Jul 2026
- Last updated
- 29 Jul 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: This study involves sensitive mental health data.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 29 Jul 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Moving to Emptiness Technique in Reducing Counsellors' Compassion Fatigue
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07718035
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- UM.TNC(P&I)/UMREC/3/6535
- Conditions
- Compassion Fatigue
- Keywords
- counselors, compassion fatigue, burnout, Moving to Emptiness Technique, Psychological Intervention, China
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 60 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of MalayaUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 27 Jul 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 1 Jun 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 1 Jul 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 21 Jul 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if Moving to Emptiness Technique (MET) works to treat counselors' compassion fatigue (CF). It will also learn about the effectiveness of MET on counselors' professional quality of life and counselling self-estimate. The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Does MET reduce counselors' compassion fatigue? Researchers will compare MET intervention to a waitlist control group to see if MET works to treat counselor burnout.
Participants will:
- Receive MET intervention for 4 sessions, once a week, 50 minutes per session.
- Fill the questionnaires tests at three timepoints: before the intervention, immediately after the intervention phase and 4 weeks after the intervention.
Detailed description
Compassion fatigue (CF) is a type of caregiver burnout which is developed by those persons who interact with traumatized individuals. Psychological counsellors are at high risk of CF. Interventions for counsellors' CF from former research included mindfulness-based interventions, and group psychotherapy. Moving to emptiness technique (MET) is a native Chinese psychotherapy, targeting to eliminate negative physical and emotional symptoms. MET is effective for many mental illness and physical symptoms, including depression, agoraphobia, insomnia, back pain caused by ankylosing spondylitis. However, the effectiveness of MET in alleviating counsellors' CF has not been empirically studied. Thus, this study aims to explore the effectiveness and feasibility of the MET intervention on CF among psychological counsellors, and to explore the effectiveness of MET on additional outcomes including professional quality of life and counselling self-estimate.
Participants will be recruited using convenience sampling through online channels relevant to psychological counsellors, including social media, professional forums and WeChat groups. Participants will also be recruited through peer networks whereby researchers' colleagues will be invited to share the study information within their professional circles. Recruitment will be initiated by distributing an online study invitation containing a brief overview of the research and a link to the participant information sheet through Wenjuan Xing. Individuals who express interest will be directed to the main researcher from whom they will receive detailed study information, complete the initial eligibility screening, and provide informed consent electronically. Eligible participants will then be scheduled for an online interview to confirm inclusion and exclusion criteria. All recruitment, screening, and enrolment procedures will be conducted remotely to accommodate participants' availability and ensure accessibility for practitioners across locations.
This study is a four-week two-armed trial. One group will receive the MET therapy (intervention group) and the other group (waitlist control group) will have their usual care while being on a waitlist and will participate in MET therapy after the trial is over. After registration, participants need to fill out a personal information questionnaire and a pre-test questionnaire first. Then, they will be randomly assigned to the intervention group or control group. After 4 weeks, participants will need to take another post-test, and after another 4 week, they will fill out the tracking questionnaire. This study will take 2 months, with 4 weeks' intervention stage and 4 weeks' tracking effectiveness stage. Participants in the intervention group are required to participate in a 4-week online intervention using MET (once a week and 50 minutes for each session) and fill out personal information questionnaires and test questionnaires. The MET sessions will be conducted by trained MET professional counsellors. Participants in the waitlist control group also need to fill out personal information questionnaires and test questionnaires but will proceed with your usual care. After the trial is over, they will have an opportunity to receive the same 4-week online MET as the experimental group.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to the MET intervention group or waitlist control group.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| MET intervention | Experimental | Behavioral: Moving to Emptiness Technique (MET)Participants in the intervention group will receive MET intervention during the trial. |
| Waitlist control group | No intervention | –Participants assigned to the waitlist control group receive no study intervention during the trial period. After completion of the final follow-up assessment, they will be offered the Moving to Emptiness Technique (MET). |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 60 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Adults (aged 18-60)
- Counsellors who have worked in the counselling profession for at least one year
- Counsellors who self-report experiencing CF symptoms
- Able to commit to attend the 4 weekly online sessions of 50 minutes' duration
- Counsellors based in China
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Counsellors have received psychological therapy for their CF within the last 6 months
- Counsellors who intend to participate in other psychological therapy for their CF besides MET during the study duration
- Counsellors who self-report experiencing a traumatic event within past one year
- Counsellors who self-report severe mental illness within past one year
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Moving to Emptiness Technique (MET)The intervention is Moving to Emptiness Technique (MET), a native Chinese psychotherapy that integrates traditional Chinese cultural beliefs which focusses on the importance of the inner (psychological) world while including somatic (bodily) relaxation and the operational process of cognitive behavioural therapy. The delivery of MET intervention would be once a week, 50 minutes per session, across 4-weeks, to ensure the participants have enough rest between each session. | Behavioural | MET intervention |
Primary outcome
Compassion Fatigue
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, Week 8
Chinese validated Compassion Fatigue Questionnaire (Source: Wang Junting, 2024). The questionnaire contains 10 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Total scores range from 10 to 50, with higher scores indicating greater compassion fatigue.
2 secondary outcomes
Professional Quality of Life scale
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, Week 8
Counselling Self-Estimate
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, Week 8
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 29 Jul 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. This study involves sensitive mental health data.
Related trials for Compassion Fatigue
Enrolling by invitation
PATH to Reducing Burnout Among Peers Who Deliver Overdose Prevention Services (R33 Phase Clinical Trial)
Burnout, Secondary Trauma
Not yet recruiting
Mobile-Based Resilience Intervention for Moral Injury, Compassion Fatigue, and Distress in ICU Nurses
Moral Injury
Active, not recruiting
A Pilot Study of RISE for Nurse Managers Retreat
Burnout, Secondary Traumatic Stress
Not yet recruiting
Trauma-Informed Education and Self-Care for Social Work Students During Field Practicum
Secondary Traumatic Stress
Active, not recruiting
Fostering Optimal Regulation of Emotion for Prevention of Secondary Trauma (FOREST)
Burnout, Burnout, Professional
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Yew Kong Lee, PhD principal investigator
Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Moving to Emptiness Technique (MET) in people with Compassion Fatigue, run by University of Malaya.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 29 Jul 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Yu Gao, M.Ed. (+601163686780, gaoyu89757@gmail.com), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Compassion Fatigue (time frame: Baseline, Week 4, Week 8). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 29 Jul 2026.