NURTURING THE HEALER WANDA BINNS LCSWC PEGGY BURNS

NURTURING THE HEALER WANDA BINNS, LCSW-C PEGGY BURNS, LCADC, CCDC

SELF LOVE BUT HOW SHALL WE EXPECT CHARITY TOWARD OTHERS, WHEN WE ARE UNCHARITABLE TO OURSELVES? CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME SIR THOMAS BROWNE 2

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COMPASSION FATIGUE This term has replaced the more familiar term "burn-out. " It refers to a physical, emotional and spiritual fatigue or exhaustion that takes over a person and causes a decline in his or her ability to experience joy or to feel and care for others. Compassion fatigue is a one-way street, in which individuals are giving out a great deal of energy and compassion to others over a period of time, yet aren’t able to get enough back to reassure themselves that the world is a hopeful place. It’s this constant outputting of compassion and caring over time that can lead to these feelings. 4

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BALANCE Is my life out of Balance? Do I give without receiving in turn. Have I forgotten to recharge my emotional energy on a daily basis? Am I under the assumption that my title of “counselor” exempts me from the needs of a human being? Have I become prey to the “super person” syndrome? Do I see my needs as weaknesses to overcome? We all need love, warmth, joy, and fun to grow and develop as individuals, even counselors. If we fail to nurture ourselves, we have little to give away. I will aim today to fulfill responsibilities to myself. I will not forget for one second that my personal life needs my love and attention. I pray that I maybe as caring of myself, as I am of others. B. G. Hialeah, FL Help for Helpers 6

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TODAY I WILL RESPECT MY BODY, MY PHYSICAL SELF My body is a vital gift, and I will treat it with respect, and the utmost care. I will seek out what it means to truly nourish my body, and I will take special care to eat healthy meals. Growing up in an alcoholic environment, I invested so much emotional energy in other people that I forgot to focus on the needs of my physical being. But today I will look at my habits and ask, “Do my habits promote health and well-, or do they undermine it? Do I over eat, or under eat? Do I smoke, and through denial, contend that I am invulnerable? Do I get enough rest and enough exercise: ” Today I will make a fearless and searching inventory of my physical being and do those things which show respect for my body, my physical self Daily Affirmations- For Adult Children of Alcoholics Rokelle Lerner 10

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RESOURCES Therapist’s Workbook: Self. Assessment, Self. Care, and Self. Improvement Exercises for Mental Health Professionals by Jeffrey A. Kottler (www. apa. org/pubs/books/431687 A. aspx) - Caring for Ourselves: A Therapist’s Guide to Personal and Professional Well. Being by Ellen Baker www. psychologytoday. com/blogin-therapy/200811/therapist burnout www. allthingsprivatepractice. com/the-abcs-of-self-care-for psychotherapist www. counseling. org/wellness taskforce/tf wellness strategies. htm 14