Self-care in Counseling Practice What is self-care? Stress Management Coping Strategies Burnout Prevention Burnout What is burnout? What are symptoms of burnout? Ethical implications of burnout Counselor impairment Do no harm

Self –Care A path from survival to flourishing (Wise, Hersh, & Gibson, 2012) Intentionally taking time to focus on oneself to do leisurely activities, practice coping strategies, and mindfulness in order to enhance one’s wellness and ability to manage stress (Shin, Park, Ying, Kim, Noh, & Lee, 2014). An active component of burnout prevention

Components of Self –Care Wellness – one’s overall health and well being that includes physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual aspects. Self-awareness – Knowledge about one’s thoughts, emotions, and behavior (Richards, Campenni, & Muse-Burke, 2010) Examples: personal boundaries, knowing personal strengths and limitations

Components of Self –Care Mindfulness - awareness of and attention to oneself and one’s surroundings (Richards et al., 2010) Mindfulness based stress reduction Teaches to people to notice, accept, and regulate their emotions and thoughts Self-compassion – being open to the human experience by understanding of one’s own flaws and failures; taking a nonjudgmental view toward one’s self (Patsiopoulos, & Buchanan, 2011)

Self-care Practices Eating well Sleep Exercise Spiritual practice Yoga (Schure, Christopher, & Christopher, 2008) Tai Chi, Chi Gong Walking, running, gym Spiritual practice Prayer Meditation Inspirational Reading Introspection, slowing down Spending time with loved ones, detaching from work (Colman, Echon, Lemay, McDonald, Smith, Spencer, & Swift, 2016)

Examples of Coping Strategies Problem-focused coping (Shin, Park, Ying, Kim, Noh, & Lee, 2014) Finding way to change the situation Emotion-focused coping (Shin et al., 2014) Seeking social support from a supervisor or your own counselor Acceptance Deep Breathing (Stebnicki, 2007) Para-sympathetic nervous system restores the body, mind, and spirit Journal-writing Aids in processing session experiences and reflecting upon one’s practice (Schure et al. 2008)

Burnout Definition - a syndrome of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment that can occur among individuals who do “people work” of some kind (Shin et al., 2014) Symptoms Losing sense of time/arriving late for appointments Not keeping up with paperwork or insurance company agreements Lack of energy or care towards self and others Violating ethical code (Brennan, 2013)

Empathy fatigue - Multiple forms of exhaustion that occur when the counselor's wounds are continually revisited by their client's stories of hardships (Stebnicki, 2007) Compassion fatigue: Therapists who deal with trauma survivors by expressing empathy towards others suffering and pain are likely candidates (Stebnicki, 2007) Psychological distress Burnout can look like

Impairment & The ACA Code of Ethics Impairment - An objective change in the professional's functioning that may result in ineffective service and cause harm to the client (Wise et al., 2012) Code C.2.g. Impairment - Counselors monitor themselves (and colleagues) for signs of impairment, and then seek assistance from a supervisor, and/or fellow counselors to prevent harming clients (ACA, 2014). Code C.2.d. Monitored effectiveness – Counselors monitoring themselves as professionals and improving when necessary (ACA, 2014. Code A.4.a. Avoiding Harm - Counselors act to avoid harming their clients, to minimize or remedy unavoidable or unanticipated harm (ACA, 2014). Impairment & The ACA Code of Ethics

What can lead to burnout and impairment? Secondary trauma exposure/vicarious traumatization (Butler, Carello, & Maguin, 2016) High levels of stress (Butler et al., 2016) Maladaptive Perfectionism (Moate, Gnilka, West, & Bruns, 2016)

Implications for Practice In practicing self-care for ourselves we can show up for our clients (Wise et al., 2012) We role model for our clients through living by example (Wise et. al, 2012) Self-care as a spiritual path (Wise et al., 2012)