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Counselor Training Center When asked by students to consider the importance of self-care in the counseling and other related helping professions, I found myself wandering a bit down memory lane to my own education and early professional work experiences. As a new professional almost 3 decades ago working with persons who had experienced interpersonal violence I found myself weary; at times overwhelmed and really tired. It was then I explored burnout prevention. I vowed to make realistic and concerted attempts to engage in self-care. I think self-care and burnout prevention is critical to longevity and success in our careers. It is also important to those we love, those who love us and those we are privileged to work with. Heathy relationships with ourselves and others is the bed rock of any burnout prevention plan. I also think that successful plans need to attend to our minds, bodies and spirits. A plan is just that a plan and is not a contract, hence a successful plan should have room for flexibility, adaptation and growth. Rigidity in a self-care and wellness plan encourages a success/failure evaluation and in a culture that already has such an emphasis on that I fear a rigid plan becomes counterproductive. For me self-care strategies have really been and continue to be about the simple things. A hot cup of coffee (or tea), ten-minutes in a rocking chair, several deep breaths, petting an animal, a moment to learn something new, appreciation, gratitude, perspective and on harder days forgiveness with regard to myself or perhaps someone else. It all comes together in gathering lifegiving moments, seeking joy and believing in hope and possibilities. Throughout the years I have frequently ended sessions by saying, “Be kind to yourself” or “Try to be kind to yourself”. While simple human kindness may not be the thing that can “fix” everything or even anything it certainly can and does make hard situations less hard including our own stress so It seems fitting that in this discussion of self-care I would end this by suggesting that we all be kind to ourselves today and then again tomorrow….. Be well.
This section will include:
Geri Barber, Director, Counseling Training Center
Practicum Student, Cassie Benscoter
Internship Students
CMHC, Eloise Libassi
Rehabilitation Counseling, Luke Vitagliano
School Counseling, Brittany LaRusso
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