It was like someone was sitting on my chest. From the moment I awoke each day, I could barely breathe, and throughout the day, I teetered on the verge of tears. My wife and I had separated, and I thought my 20-year marriage was about to end. My heart was
Tag: Counselor Wellness
Counselor Wellness
An activist is a person who campaigns and takes action for social change. Counselors are often activists for their clients and for their profession by nature of being in a helping field. The issue of self-care looms for both counselor practitioners and counselor educators as we face difficult client issues,
There is no perfect plan when it comes to self-care. The important thing is to have a plan and make self-care a career-long focus. Not only will the methods that counselors find effective vary from practitioner to practitioner, but a self-care routine will also need to evolve to meet changing
Fill in the blank: The way to avoid burnout is __________ . Self-care? Professional fulfillment? Spirituality? All of the above? The answer to this question will be different for each person — and most likely involve more than one idea. The question, however, needs to be continually on the minds
Even the most compassionate, empathic and dedicated clinician has to work to prevent burnout and compassion fatigue. Where you work can often play a big role in the making or prevention of compassion fatigue and burnout. High-stress, high-volume work with little rest or downtime can be a major contributing factor
My schedule is abysmal. I methodically pluck each hour and consume it with some obligation. At the end of my day, my free time is as nonexistent and barren as a sweet-corn field in October. — Cheryl Fisher ***** Exams are graded. Grades are finally posted. Commencement pomp and
I do not want to get out of bed, so I press snooze on my alarm again. I feel nauseated and think about calling in sick. Finally, I drag myself out of bed and take my time getting dressed for work. I leave my house reluctantly. On the drive to work,
The field of counseling is one that offers great rewards. We get to see people go from their worst to their best. We get to be a part of the change that our clients are seeking. Even so, the hours and hours we spend listening to the pain of others
The concept of wellness can be found across history, from ancient civilizations through the foundational tenets and ethical codes of contemporary counseling and allied mental health and medical disciplines. Counseling professionals in particular have embraced a holistic, wellness-oriented approach that contrasts with traditional medical/illness models, and many of our theoretical
The alarm was relentless, even with several taps on the snooze button. I finally surrendered to the morning and rolled out of bed, practically tumbling over my 65-pound goldendoodle, Max, who was snoring below my feet. With one eye open, I made my way to the shower and blasted the