Our latest blog by Jennifer Shindman, M.S. In his book, The Gift of Therapy, Yalom writes, “We are cradlers of secrets. Every day patients grace us with their secrets, often never before shared. Receiving such secrets is a privilege given to very few. The secrets provide a backstage view of the human condition without social frills, role playing, bravado, or stage posturing.” However, sometimes some of these secrets can be “scorching.” So how do therapists keep themselves from being burned, or, burning out? A way that therapists can help keep themselves from burning out is by engaging in self-care, or behaviors that foster and maintain emotional, physical, social and mental functioning, as well as promote balance between one’s professional and personal life (Baker, 2003). This practice is especially important during the holiday season, when we are all overwhelmed and have more responsibilities than usual. Norcross and Guy, Jr. (2007) identified multiple forms of self-care, and put them into several categories including: 1) bio-behavioral practices, 2) nurturing relationships, 3) setting boundaries, 4) restructuring cognitions, 5) sustaining healthy escape, 6) creating a flourishing environment, 7) undergoing personal therapy, 8) cultivating spirituality and mission, 9) and fostering creativity and growth. 1) Bio-behavioral practices include sleep hygiene, relieving tension from muscles, eating healthy, maintaining hydration, and physical exercise. For example, it may be helpful to avoid stimulants (caffeine, nicotine, etc.) too close to bedtime. Exercise like yoga can also promote good sleep, and meals too close to bedtime might disrupt it. Further, it is helpful to establish a regular relaxing bedtime routine; it may not be a good idea to use your bed to watch TV, do work, listen to the radio, or read. 2) Nurturing relationships can help therapists to foster emotional balance and improve their well-being. In his book, Love’s Executioner, Yalom writes about one of his group members who when talking about death said, “Even though you’re alone in your boat, it’s always comforting to see other boats bopping nearby.” This is true in the therapy room as well. Thus, forming a peer supervision group can be very beneficial and therapeutic. Just because therapists are alone in the therapy room, they can still be alone, together. Moreover, supportive relationships can come in many forms, including friends, family, spouses, and/or partners, and may help clinicians to set aside their professional role. It is important to remember that one’s role as therapist, although quite important, is not everything. 3) Setting boundaries between and within one’s professional and personal life is also an effective form of self-care among practicing psychologists and therapists. This may mean limiting the number of clients you see, the amount of time that you see them, and when you see them, so as not to become overwhelmed. 4) Another form of self-care that can to be important to well-being is one of the essential components of cognitive behavioral therapy: cognitive restructuring. Albert Ellis stated that as educated psychologists, we are not exempt from having irrational beliefs that may impact our functioning. He proposed that there are several irrational beliefs, or “musturbations,” that may lead to therapist inefficiency: I must be successful with my patients, practically all of the time. I must be one of the world’s most outstanding therapists. I must be liked and respected by all my clients. Since I am a hard-working therapist, my clients should be equally persevering. I must be able to enjoy myself during therapy. Thus, it is important that we be self-aware, work to turn our demands into preferences, and learn to not rate our worth based on our clients’ improvement. 5) Healthy escape can provide an outlet to decompress. Some examples of healthy escape typically practiced by psychotherapists include taking breaks at work, relaxation techniques (e.g. yoga, muscle relaxation, guided imagery, meditation), humor, vacations, and leisure activities (Norcross & Guy, Jr., 2007). Although therapists may only have a few minutes in between sessions with clients, this does not mean they should not take advantage of an opportunity to decompress. For example, there are several smart phone applications that could help guide us through a relaxation or a meditation script and take only a few minutes. 6) The environment one practices in can have an impact on well-being as well. For instance, institutional demands (e.g., lack of control, paperwork, financial cutbacks, and unrealistic demands of productivity) are related to burnout. Unfortunately, however, many of these factors are not within our control, so what can we do? Well, if your goal is to stay in your current environment, you can work to restructure any irrational beliefs about the work you have to do, or you can try to make the environment better. For example, when writing notes or reports, I usually have music playing in the background, which helps make the experience better for me. 7) Another important self-care behavior is engaging in one’s own personal therapy. Eighty-four percent of psychologists indicated that they have utilized personal therapy at some point in their lives, with 85.6 percent reporting that this experience was very helpful or exceptionally helpful (Pope & Tabachnick, 1994). Orlinsky and Ronnestad (2005) surveyed over 4,000 therapists from a variety of career backgrounds, orientations, and countries and found that about 88% of respondents rated personal therapy as a positive experience. 8) Spirituality is considered an important form of self-care, as faith has been found to be a key predictor of life satisfaction (Myers et al., 2012). Faith typically includes a sense of purpose, hope, and social support. Spirituality can help an individual “make meaning” from one’s personal and professional life, instill a sense of purpose, and include social support. 9) Finally, being creative and fostering one’s growth are important forms of self-care as well. For example, a therapist can diversify his/her practice including the types of clients he/she sees and the techniques employed in session. Professional development can protect against psychotherapist burnout and foster career satisfaction. (Norcross & Guy, Jr., 2007; Skovholt & Jennings, 2004) Overall, there are many different ways in which a therapist can engage in self-care, and doing so can be essential in preventing burn out. Though doing therapy can be highly rewarding, it can also be very demanding. Thus, it is important to be self-aware and ask yourself, “Who’s taking care of me?” If you are not a therapist, you will still likely benefit from employing these strategies and philosophical insights to your career and lifestyle as well!
Posted on: Mon, 29 Dec 2014 18:15:48 +0000
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