Erin Bochard, LMSW
Many times, self-care is being ignored due to a clinician’s internal beliefs about it, their culture, their financial situation, and the expectations placed on them by their employers.
While self-care is important for everyone, self-Care is an ethical obligation for therapists. Good self care practices are imperative for maintaining health and emotional well-being, two critical components of what makes an effective clinician. Therapists work hard to foster self-love and value in our clients, but oftentimes we fail to nurture those things in ourselves. Self-care, basically, is an umbrella term that covers a wide range of practices that we can do for ourselves that remind us of our value and keep us emotionally refreshed. Sixty-seven percent of all clinicians have reached the point of “burn-out” sometime during their careers (The Juniper Center, 2021). Burnout is defined as “a psychological syndrome characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a reduced sense of personal accomplishment” (The Juniper Center, 2021, slide 3).
Therapists often suffer from something called “compassion fatigue”, which can manifest as a sense of hopelessness, irritability and impatience, apathy, anxiety, anhedonia, troubles with sleep, isolating oneself, and reduced self-esteem. in other words, “empathy without boundaries is self-destruction” (The Juniper Center, 2021). That may lead you to ask, since the cost of burnout or compassion fatigue is so high, what could possibly interfere with self-care follow through. Self-care may be put on the back burner because of someone's internal or cultural beliefs about it, their financial situation, and/or their work.
Setting boundaries is a fundamental act of self-care. Being able to maintain a healthy work/life balance is an important factor in setting good boundaries. When work starts zapping a clinician of energy, because it’s consuming too much of their time or their cases are particularly emotionally intense, they have to reevaluate what they are doing to keep themselves emotionally regulated. This should lead to a clearer set of work/life boundaries. Clinicians need to learn to say the word “no” without feeling the need to explain why they cannot take on an extra duty. Using clear and assertive communication is an important part of boundary setting (Forbes, 2021). An example of boundary setting may be not taking phone calls or text messages from work after hours (Forbes, 2021). A healthy work-life balance is crucial in maintaining a fulfilling personal life and also a successful career.
The organization where a clinician is employed can influence a clinician’s stress level. Employers that are attentive to the needs of their employees encounter a more positive work force and work environment (Syracuse Univ., n.d.). Issues such as employee benefits, professional development, and the level of administrative support, can be considerable factors for clinicians (Syracuse Univ., n.d.). An environment that promotes a sense of teamwork and care can make work seem much more manageable (Syracuse Univ, n.d.).
Another important part of self-care is having a good support system outside of work. This could include relationships with friends, family, and seeking therapy themselves. Clinicians should also find time for physical exercise to clear the mind and rejuvenate, whether it be walking around the block during their 10-minute work breaks and/or having a set time every day outside of work hours for this. Scheduling breaks into your workday is another essential part of self-care, such as blocking off a lunch break every day for 30-60 minutes (apa.org, 2021). This helps clinicians take some “me time” and recharge themselves for the rest of their day.
https://soe.syr.edu/about/accreditation/cacrep/resources/modules/self-care/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiCbbquvNNw, The Ethical Obligation of Self Care for Therapists, The Juniper Center, Sep 27, 2021
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2021/02/01/16-ways-to-achieve-work-life-balance-by-setting-better-boundaries/?sh=39874e045362
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