Compassion fatigue is what I call a long-term reaction to providing care. This can happen in health care providers, emergency personnel, personal caregivers, and other situations. The term “Secondary Traumatic Stress Disorder” is also used to describe this condition. I think that sounds scarier than compassion fatigue, but if it gets a caregiver’s or provider’s attention enough to watch out for and prevent the signs, then I suppose that term is useful.
Compassion fatigue happens after focusing on others’ needs over a long period of time without practicing enough appropriate self-care. Caring for others can give energy and take away energy in general, but over time the energy can drain away and the caregiver can become less compassionate or can feel burned out.
A good website for this condition is here . The bottom line is: if you are providing care for others, take care of yourself. Taking care of yourself includes decent eating and rest habits, and probably walking or an exercise program.
I have been guilty of slacking on these at times, and as a clinical therapist I can attest that sometimes I have gotten worn out. Taking care of myself after I haven’t for a while helps me bounce back fairly well. It’s amazing what proper rest, eating, and some regular working out can do to rejuvenate. Vacations are nice too. Most important is breaking up your routine if it is becoming a grind.
I like to get word out about resources that seem useful. Today I am providing some words from the Counselling Directory, which is located in the United Kingdom. I looked through the website and found it straightforward in presenting a good list of resources for finding mental health services.
I have copied some information below. I hope it’s helpful for those of you in the UK.
Counselling Directory was set up with a simple but much needed purpose – to put those who need help in touch with those people who provide it.
Over an average year, around one in four people will experience some kind of mental health problem - whether it be work-related stress, a family crisis, or something more serious like abuse. Depression is the most common mental illness, affecting one if five people. Counselling provides a welcome alternative to medication, and encourages people to deal with their issues rather than continually suppressing them, which can lead to more serious problems.
Of course, the decision to undertaken counselling is not one that anyone takes lightly. Many consider the idea for months or even years before deciding to take the plunge.
The main hurdle anyone must overcome before opening themselves up to counselling is accepting they have a problem that needs dealt with. Whether it be an addiction, a mental health illness, suffering abuse or an eating disorder, no one likes to admit they are struggling. Often friends and family will try to encourage the person to accept they need help, but the decision must ultimately come from the person themselves.
Finding the right counsellor is essential, and there are many things to consider. Counsellors often specialise in certain areas, so it’s important the individual finds one that addresses their specific needs, with an approach they’re comfortable with.
There are practical considerations too, such as location. Despite assured complete confidentiality people may prefer to see a counsellor that is perhaps outside their local area, but still in surroundings they are comfortable in.
In the current climate, price is becoming more and more of an issue. Many counsellors are now offering reduced rates for those unemployment or claiming benefits, and many are very accommodating so that all those that need help can have access to it.
Perhaps most importantly is ensuring the counsellor is fully qualified to practise. Currently there are no laws to regulate counsellors. However, there are accrediting bodies and qualifications guidelines suggest counsellors should obtain. There are academic qualifications in counselling - under-graduate, post-graduates and doctorates. Being accredited by a professional body - such as the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy - means that the counsellor will have met several criteria, such as a certain number of hours of training undertaken, and hours practising under supervision.
This is where Counselling Directory comes in. A comprehensive searching tool, the site allows postcode, town and country searches, and produces a list of counsellors registered in this area. Each counsellor has a profile, listing a bit about themselves, their approaches, what areas they deal with, and all their training, qualification and experience and fees. The site shows which counsellors are registered/accredited with a professional body, and full profiles are only displayed after insurance and qualification documents are checked or membership with a professional body has been verified.
The site has also become a huge information bank - there are articles written by the counsellors, as well as comprehensive information on all kinds of distress - from depression to eating disorders to abuse, to help people identify their problems and become informed, not scared. There’s also a blog that reports the latest health news and developments.
We’ve heard from many people who have found Counselling Directory invaluable, reducing the amount of stress and worrying that can contribute to an already difficult enough process.
I thought of this idea for a blog entry a while ago. I’m not sure if it would even be interesting to any of you, but here it is.
It may be obvious, but a therapist experiences several emotions during each client session. Some therapists might deny that or not be aware of it, but it is definitely true for me. So I made some mental notes during a session with one of my regular clients, focusing on the different emotions I was experiencing during the conversation. After the session, I completed the list and it surprised me. These are all from one 50-minute session:
pleased
thankful
curious
confused
confident
tentative
apprehensive
anxious
concerned
content
With some of these feelings, I was mirroring the emotions I sensed from the client. Other times, they were just my emotional reactions to what was being discussed. In any case, it shows that therapists go through a range of emotions just like clients do.
An important perspective I learned in graduate school that I still hold to today is this: if showing your emotions will help the client then let them out; if not, keep them to yourself. (At least until later, when you do need to deal with your emotions wherever they came from.) As a therapist, it is crucial to realize that the point of therapy is to experience and use emotions productively. The point is not to get to a “level of maturity” that is emotion-less.
By the way, the client felt better at the end of the session that day than when we started. I felt better later after I processed my own feelings.
Every once in a while I want to get out a jumble of thoughts I have accumulated from therapy sessions. Somehow it helps me refine my therapy style and clears my mind. There are also times when conversation in session progresses to a deep enough level that I find myself considering ideas beyond the therapy room. Here are my thoughts today, and remember that this a glimpse of a few things that fly through a therapist’s mind:
If the client feels he or she has no options, widen the perspective.
If he or she feels overwhelmed, narrow the focus.
Always provide hope.
Everyone has normal in them, and some forget that.
Laughter isn’t just the best medicine, it is like pure, cool water that prevents your soul from being dehydrated.
Music has many great qualities (if it’s good music), and two aspects of music that stand out are its ability to calm your mind, and its ability to affect your mood.
If you talk on the phone until your ear gets sweaty, you may be on too long.
Therapy feels like a juggling act to me sometimes. It’s like I have different ideas flying around, and pick one at a time to toss to my client. Sometimes the client drops it, and other times we play catch for a while while I continue juggling.
People really are interesting.
Some people are boring, but I generally prefer that to loud and overly dramatic.
Every person has an opportunity each day to expand his or her mind. It doesn’t need to be earth-shattering or profound. Sometimes a little growth that happens consistently allows the mind to remember its creativity, energy, and power.
