Self Compassion: Advanced Self-Care Practices for Clinicians

Course overview

Working with trauma survivors as a mental health professional is often challenging and frequently places the professional at risk for difficult countertransference reactions, vicarious trauma, and over time, symptoms of burnout or compassion fatigue. In this presentation, Diane Bigler, LCSW will introduce learners to the key philosophies of trauma stewardship, which guide us to build a long-term approach to wellness so that we can provide care to others. Exploration will include tools to assist professionals in addressing their own signs of distress and burnout, enhancing their sense of well-being and ability to care for themselves, and building vicarious resilience. Participants will be offered approaches to meet the challenges of clinical work be encouraged to reflect deeply on what led oneself to engage in trauma work, the impact it has, and the meaning of and lessons gained from the work.