As counselors we know that being authentic with our clients is important for establishing and building relationships. As we work with clients to help them improve their level of wellness and self-care, it is important that we practice what we preach.
Counseling is a "one-way caring relationship" and some therapists may be naturally inclined to focus on the needs of others first or become caretakers in their personal relationships. It may be difficult for some therapists to focus on themselves and practice the self-care or wellness tips that they highly recommend to their clients or loved ones.
Instead of going it alone, counselors can reach out to peers and other professionals to create wellness support groups or participate in ongoing activities outside of work to promote wellness, such as attending yoga classes, scheduling lunch dates with peers, or attending a movie with friends or family.
At work, instead of looking at wellness as something you "do" once or twice a week, begin to incorporate wellness into your daily work routine as much as possible. This could mean taking a couple of minutes for a mindfulness meditation between clients, setting boundaries regarding the number of clients you see each day or adjusting the times when they are scheduled, taking several 15-minute breaks throughout the day to get outside, walk around and take in some fresh air, or meeting with a peer consultation group or a clinical supervisor on a weekly basis to problem-solve cases.
Choose Wellness!
Resources:Shallcross, L. (2011). Taking care of yourself as a counselor. Counseling Today. American Counseling Association.
Saturday
Tuesday
Work Engagement
The results are in! GALLUP's survey, State of the American Workplace: 2010 - 2012, reports that 70 percent of workers in the United States are not engaged or are actively disengaged in their work!
The term "actively disengaged" refers to those employees who are emotionally disconnected from their companies and, as such, more likely to miss work and negatively influence coworkers and/or customers.
Participants in the study who were at the beginning and the end of their careers tended to be the most engaged in their work. So, what does that mean for everyone else who is floating somewhere in the middle?
Tips for becoming more engaged in your work:
Focus on your strengths. If you aren't using your strengths in your work, maybe it's time to let your boss know what your strengths are and how they might best be utilized. Per GALLUP's research, people who used their strengths everyday were six times more likely to be engaged at work. As clinician's we help our clients identify their strengths. Have you been ignoring yours?
Know your roles and responsibilities and make sure you have the right tools and training to do your job. If your role and responsibilities at work are unclear, you may need assistance from your supervisor to identify what they are. If you are taking on other peoples responsibilities, it may be time to speak up and let them carry the load for themselves. If you don't have the training that you need for the types of clients that you are working with then it's time to find the training that you need and seek supervision from someone who has the experience to guide you.
Be friendly and practice gratitude. Everyday is another opportunity to build relationships with your co-workers and clients. Practice gratitude by focusing on the positives in your work environment. If there aren't too many positives, and you've tried to change things, it may be time to look for a job and a work environment that will build you up instead of tear you down.
If you are one of the 70 percent who are experiencing dissatisfaction with your job, you might want to ask yourself the following questions. Share your responses with a friend or trusted peer if you need to process things.
What do I get out of my role or job?
What do I contribute to my job, my team and my company?
Do I belong in this job and with this company? Do I have the ability to learn, grow and input my ideas here?
Based on your answers, you might find that you are able to tweak a few minor things at work that will increase your level of work satisfaction.
You may find that you are not able to change your responsibilities or a work situation that creates dissatisfaction but you may be able to make peace with it, especially if you can find the benefits that the job provides you with right now.
Benefits might mean a decent salary that allows you to save a nest egg or pay off student loans, health insurance, educational or training opportunities, or a flexible schedule. As a registered intern working towards mental health licensure, I remember the pay wasn't the best but I was getting the direct client contact hours and supervision I needed, plus some great experience conducting individual, group and couples counseling. The work experience I gained during that time definitely outweighed the low salary I received.
The term "actively disengaged" refers to those employees who are emotionally disconnected from their companies and, as such, more likely to miss work and negatively influence coworkers and/or customers.
Participants in the study who were at the beginning and the end of their careers tended to be the most engaged in their work. So, what does that mean for everyone else who is floating somewhere in the middle?
Tips for becoming more engaged in your work:
Focus on your strengths. If you aren't using your strengths in your work, maybe it's time to let your boss know what your strengths are and how they might best be utilized. Per GALLUP's research, people who used their strengths everyday were six times more likely to be engaged at work. As clinician's we help our clients identify their strengths. Have you been ignoring yours?
Know your roles and responsibilities and make sure you have the right tools and training to do your job. If your role and responsibilities at work are unclear, you may need assistance from your supervisor to identify what they are. If you are taking on other peoples responsibilities, it may be time to speak up and let them carry the load for themselves. If you don't have the training that you need for the types of clients that you are working with then it's time to find the training that you need and seek supervision from someone who has the experience to guide you.
Be friendly and practice gratitude. Everyday is another opportunity to build relationships with your co-workers and clients. Practice gratitude by focusing on the positives in your work environment. If there aren't too many positives, and you've tried to change things, it may be time to look for a job and a work environment that will build you up instead of tear you down.
If you are one of the 70 percent who are experiencing dissatisfaction with your job, you might want to ask yourself the following questions. Share your responses with a friend or trusted peer if you need to process things.
What do I get out of my role or job?
What do I contribute to my job, my team and my company?
Do I belong in this job and with this company? Do I have the ability to learn, grow and input my ideas here?
Based on your answers, you might find that you are able to tweak a few minor things at work that will increase your level of work satisfaction.
You may find that you are not able to change your responsibilities or a work situation that creates dissatisfaction but you may be able to make peace with it, especially if you can find the benefits that the job provides you with right now.
Benefits might mean a decent salary that allows you to save a nest egg or pay off student loans, health insurance, educational or training opportunities, or a flexible schedule. As a registered intern working towards mental health licensure, I remember the pay wasn't the best but I was getting the direct client contact hours and supervision I needed, plus some great experience conducting individual, group and couples counseling. The work experience I gained during that time definitely outweighed the low salary I received.
After evaluating your responses to the questions above, you
may find that the negatives of your work completely outweigh the
positives and it's time for you to look elsewhere for job
satisfaction. If so, it's time to happily update that resume and start
networking because staying in a job that makes you miserable is just
unhealthy.
Choose Wellness!
Thursday
April is Stress Awareness Month!
Tips for StressWellness!
Create personal affirmations and repeat them out loud on a daily basis. One suggestion for doing this is to write your affirmations on an index card and tape them to your bathroom mirror where you are sure to see them! Practice saying your affirmations while looking in the mirror.
Do you know how many negative thoughts we think about ourselves during one day?? Way too many!! When you catch yourself thinking something negative like, "What's the point? I'll never be good at this."....STOP and REGROUP! Turn that negative into a positive..."With practice, I am improving everyday. Keep up the good work!".
Are there specific people or one person who causes you the most stress in your life? It may be time to re-evaluate your relationships. If you are surrounded by negative people it will increase your level of stress. Find people who are positive!
Journal your thoughts and feelings when you are feeling stressed. Write things down, in the very moment when you are feeling the most stress, and then come back later when you are feeling better and read what you wrote. Rereading your journal posts may help you see another perspective on the situations or people that are the most stressful...and help you find solutions to handle things differently in the future.
Choose Wellness!
Create personal affirmations and repeat them out loud on a daily basis. One suggestion for doing this is to write your affirmations on an index card and tape them to your bathroom mirror where you are sure to see them! Practice saying your affirmations while looking in the mirror.
Do you know how many negative thoughts we think about ourselves during one day?? Way too many!! When you catch yourself thinking something negative like, "What's the point? I'll never be good at this."....STOP and REGROUP! Turn that negative into a positive..."With practice, I am improving everyday. Keep up the good work!".
Are there specific people or one person who causes you the most stress in your life? It may be time to re-evaluate your relationships. If you are surrounded by negative people it will increase your level of stress. Find people who are positive!
Journal your thoughts and feelings when you are feeling stressed. Write things down, in the very moment when you are feeling the most stress, and then come back later when you are feeling better and read what you wrote. Rereading your journal posts may help you see another perspective on the situations or people that are the most stressful...and help you find solutions to handle things differently in the future.
Choose Wellness!
Friday
Surviving Stress!
The term stress refers to the psychological and physiological responses we experience when faced with demands or threats. These demands or threats, real or imagined, create a heightened emotional or physical tension which can be beneficial when facing a challenge. Once the challenge is resolved, the state of heightened tension is alleviated.
Stress becomes problematic when heightened responses become chronic, resulting in a constant state of tension which can lead to significant health problems. Dr. Hans Selye developed his theory of stress in the 1950's, defining stress as the mind and body's total response to an internal or external stimulus, called the stressor.
The top sources of stress for Americans include money, work, the economy, family responsibilities, relationships, family health problems, and personal health concerns, according to a national survey conducted by the American Psychological Association (APA, 2012). A 2007 APA research study reported that individuals working in education and health service industries experienced higher levels of stress than those working in other professions, with four out of ten people experiencing extreme levels of stress.
A worker's characteristics and the work environment have been identified as the primary causes of job-related stress.
Stressors for mental health professionals include:
- Time Pressures
- Negative Colleagues and/or Supervisors
- Organizational Politics
- Excessive Paperwork
- Type of Clinical Setting
- Role Conflicts
- Personality Traits
- Coping Style
The "A" Strategies listed below may prove to be helpful in decreasing stress levels and increasing wellness:
- Awareness - Recognizing your top stressors and mental/physical symptoms of stress. Many people feel stressed out but don't take the time to explore what problem is creating their chronic stress.
- Ask for help - If you are experiencing negative symptoms due to stress, don't be afraid to ask for help!
- Agree to Disagree - Sometimes it is difficult to stand up for ourselves. If you are uncomfortable with something, it is okay to disagree. Stuffing down feelings brought up by stressful experiences can hurt you emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
- Activities - Participate in activities that help you relax, improve your self-esteem, increase your knowledge, and make you feel happy!
- Anticipate - Once you have identified your top stressors, work on solutions to help minimize your level of stress. Planning ahead may be one of your best strategies to manage stress!
Choose Wellness!
Monday
Bouncing Back from Burnout!
No one is immune to burnout. Counselors need to pay attention to symptoms that could possibly lead to Burnout Syndrome. These might include:
- a decline in empathy and patience
- feeling relieved when clients cancel their appointments
- fantasizing or spacing out during sessions
- feeling dissatisfied with your job more often than not
- disregarding professional boundaries and ethics
When I worked at a community mental health agency, I remember a director telling me that he knew it was time to stop practicing therapy when he realized that, during sessions, he was spending more time daydreaming and staring at a painting of a boat out at sea then focusing on his clients sitting in front of him.
Don't wait until your symptoms of burnout become full-blown and destroy your passion for helping others! Tips for regaining your passion and eliminating burnout might include:
- Finding a new niche: learning about a new specialty area and working with a new client population can rejuvenate your passion for your career.
- Creating multiple streams of income: branch out beyond direct client contact by adding teaching, supervising, consultation, or research to your career pursuits.
- Joining new groups: counseling can be isolating, try joining a local professional association to connect with other professionals.
- Balancing your work and personal life: make sure you are working reasonable hours, making a decent wage, and not taking your work home with you. Create a well-rounded life outside of practicing psychotherapy that includes family, friends, hobbies, and physical activity.
Choose Wellness!
Resources:
Howes, R. (2008). Therapist Burnout. Psychology Today Blogs. New York: Sussex Publishers, LLC.
Resources:
Howes, R. (2008). Therapist Burnout. Psychology Today Blogs. New York: Sussex Publishers, LLC.
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