Compassion Fatigue: Balancing and Managing Energy

Transcription

1 Compassion Fatigue: Balancing and Managing Energy Mary Jo Barrett, MSW Center for Contextual Change University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration Lesley Olswang, PhD, CCC-SLP Department of Speech & Hearing Sciences University of Washington w ASHA Orlando, 2014

2 Disclosure Statement Financial Relationships Mary Jo Barrett co-author of Treating Complex Trauma, from which she receives royalties and which will provide some of the content for this session Lesley B Olswang none Nonfinancial relationship(s) Sisters

3 Why this session? Who we are What we have in common Origins of this session

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6 Five Treatment Elements (Barrett & Stone Fish, 2014, pg. 55) Augment and amplify client s natural capacity and capabilities Provide inspiration, motivation, and incentive Create predictability, order, and structure Assure generalizability of learning and practice Enhance practitioner s competence and confidence In the context of communication and communication disorders, and treatments that target physiological, social/emotional, behavioral variables

7 Being a good therapist** requires that we Help keep our clients engaged (and significant others) Connect with our client as we apply our knowledge and skills to help promote growth, change and healing. Empathetically attune with our clients full, clear, warm validating observation and guiding of our clients in helping them learn new attitudes, behaviors, skills to better communicate feel the feelings, not merely understand them conceptually (Siegel, 2012) be mindfully engaged ** Caregivers

8 THERAPY.. is the process of encircling a person with value and empowerment by engaging with them in their natural cycles of growth. Collaboratively helping them gather resources from within themselves, their family and their community to promote change (Barrett)

9 What do we know about stress: Stressful environments affect the brain and associated behavior (Davidson & McEwan, 2012) Some events in daily life can produce a type of chronic stress and lead over time to wear and tear on the body. Stress and stress hormones produce both adaptive and maladaptive effects on the brain throughout the life course. (McEwan, 2007) Caregiving: Study examining the relationship between caregiving demands among older spousal caregivers and 4-year mortality. Participants who were providing care and experiencing caregiver strain had mortality risks that were 63% higher than non-caregiving controls (Schultz & Beach, 1999)

10 Compassion Fatigue..is the exhaustion, fatigue, and subsequent symptoms that are the result of passionately, skillfully, and compassionately giving of yourself to help others.

11 Compassion Fatigue. Goes beyond Being tired Feeling overwhelmed by too much work Wishing you had more hours in the day IT IS Deep exhaustion that chips away at your soul, changes who you are, who you think you can be, what you think you can accomplish Being overwhelmed, feeling out of control and powerless A Loss of confidence, self-worth Questioning one s competence Experiencing emotions of sadness, hopelessness that might reflect your clients emotions Depletion

12 Five Essential Ingredients for Healing Relationships connecting to a deep set of values that provide a meaningful vision of future Psycho educational Experiences - Learning what to do, how to do it, and why it is important Strength Based Guidance - Utilizing Resources Safe context for change and growth Workable Realities - Hope

13 The therapeutic journey requires ENERGY for our clients and for ourselves Five Domains of Human Energy Emotional Intellectual Physical Sensual Spiritual

14 Performance, health and happiness are grounded in the skillful management of energy - Jim Loehr

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16 In order to be a successful therapist (or caregiver) You need to be mindful of the possible of effects of your compassion You need to understand the energy exchange what you give out and what you get back You need to understand your vulnerability and the need for balance in the expenditure of energy and replenishing of energy

17 We want to build pathways between all parts of the brain, to intersect and strengthen our Engaged Mindstate. And to Build Pathways between Our Engaged Mindstate and the Engaged Mindstates of Others. Upper Brain; Forebrain; This section regulates our executive functioning; planning,self awareness, analysis that involves thought and feeling. The Forebrain is where we experience logic, empathy, compassion, creativity, self regulation, self awareness, attention, and problem solving. The Forebrain uses both left and right hemispheres. And the Upper Brain attempts to integrate information from Mid and Lower brain, helps us plan. MidBrain; The Limbic regulates emotion and motivation, as well as learning and memory. This part of our brain provides us with greater flexibility of behavior and integrates messages from both inside and outside the body. This is where we process: nurturing, fear, social bonding, joy stress; the range of emotions. This is our library, where and how our body remembers Lower Brain;The BrainStem; This is where our Survival Instinctual Behaviors and Functions exist. It is at the Base of the Brain. This HindBrain regulates; Fight, Flight, Freeze, our autonomic functions; digestion, heart rate, hunger, breathing. This part of our brain manages our impulses. The Hind/Lower brain is reactive and protective.

18 Awareness and Attunement The range of what we think and do Is limited by what we fail to notice And because we fail to notice That we fail to notice There is little we can do To Change Until we notice How failing to notice Shapes our thoughts and deeds -R.D.Laing

19 We fall into Negative Energy with Fatigue Our goal is to recognize this and Create Positive Energy Positive Energy- High and Low High Positive; Joy, Happiness, Playfulness, Movement Low Positive; Meditation, Prayer, Stroll in Nature Negative Energy- High and Low High Negative; Anger, Critical, Judgment, Irritable Low Negative; Depressed, Withdrawn, Isolation

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21 Finding Balance Expenditure of Energy Replenishing of Energy

22 When we are depleted Submission: we become numb, robotic, lose energy or apathetic, become more depressed or detached in our own personal lives. Flight: it is harder to pay attention, to want to go to work. We may dream of vacations or of terminating the client Fight: we become more irritable, tense, or defensive. Or quicker to try to save the day. Our hyper vigilance or posttraumatic paranoia may affect our personal lives, interfering with sleep or relaxation Attach: our separation anxiety increases in tandem with their instability and un-safety.

23 To Be Fully Engaged Is To Have Strength Endurance Flexibility Resilience In all of the energy domains

24 Who am I and Where did I go? My identity as a professional My view of the world My sense of myself as a friend, lover, family member My ability to care for others My ability to care for myself

25 Recognizing where and how I expend and replenish my energy? Professionally Familial Socially Politically Biologically Developmentally

26 Do I practice what I preach? If not, what constrains me?

27 Resources: Where we find energy Awareness/Realism/Intuition- honestly looking at self Creativity/Nature/Beauty Humor Courage/Initiative Flexibility/Adaptability Faith/Trust Social Support

28 Hurdling Your Wellness Obstacles

29 Stages of Recovery for the Healer Acknowledgement of how caring for others has impacted our lives and changed usboth positively and negatively Designing the program that will re-create the proactive energy which lies within all of us in each domain Commitment to ongoing practice of replenishment in all 5 energy domainsthrough an energy efficient personal formula

30 Small Moment BIG ENERGY LIFT

31 Worksheet Your Symptoms you want to change: What behaviors at home or work - do I want to change? What beliefs about myself and others no longer serve me- in fact deplete energy? What reactions of mine are problematic at home and work? Your Energy Expenditures: What tasks? With Whom? What Life Style Choices?

32 Wellness Plan Write your Personal Vision: How would you like to see yourself as a person. What are your Top personal energy expenditures What are your Positive energy replenishers Create the specific plan and formula that is realistic for you-what, when, and how Write your Professional Vision: How would you like to see yourself as a person. What are your Top energy expenditures What are your Positive energy replenishers Create the specific plan and formula that is realistic for you-what, when and how

33 Positive Replenishers Targeted expenditure Barriers Importance to your vision Motivation-why do it? And keep on doing it? Launch Date

34 How to Get There What is getting in the way? Brain storm how to address each and get feedback from others. List the specific steps for making your wellness dream come true. Put it on your daily to do list.

35 Keys to Success Boundaries Explain phenomena to others-work and home Mindfulness Be Creative Watch what you say to yourself Plan something every month/every week /every day that you look forward to ASK for what you want and need Create an energy plan

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