FOR DRUG AND ALCOHOL COUNSELORS, HR, NURSES, CLERGY AND LAY-CLERGY, HOSPICE WORKERS, THERAPISTS & SOCIAL WORKERS, TRAUMA WORKERS AND MANAGERS.
Being in a helping role involves attending to the needs of others. You are often exposed to negativity and suffering. In addition to these external pressures, helpers often have attitudes that increase susceptibility to burnout and compassion fatigue. Addressing the psychological obstacles that foster stress and limit attention to self-care can make all the difference, even when stressful conditions can't be changed.
This training offers tools for preventing burnout, compassion fatigue and improving effectiveness.
You will also learn to recognize and counteract underlying causes of stress, be more effective as a helper and take care of yourself in ways that enable you to cope better with pressures.
* Recognize outdated beliefs and survival strategies that perpetuate stress, self-neglect and unhealthy helping styles.
* Prevent and counteract burnout and reverse the negative effects of compassion fatigue.
* Protect yourself from exposure to peoples suffering by cultivating healthy detachment while being empathically attuned.
* Identify and counteract obstacles that limit attention to self-care, undermine clear limit setting and cause you to over-identify with your role as a helper.
* Learn to take better care of yourself while helping others.
* Increase resiliency and your ability to cope with work pressures.
Examples of topics:
The
cost of caring (the impact of being in a
helping role and exposure to negative and suffering.
Addressing external and self- imposed pressures.
Understanding the pitfalls and obstacles of being in a helping role helping.
Distinguishing between healthy and unhealthy giving.
Cultivating an internal frame of reference vs. being other-directed.
Distinguishing burnout from compassion fatigue.
Self- care: personal and professional, at work and outside of work. Finding balance.
Exercise: self-care assessment and obstacles to implementing self-care.
Outdated Survival Strategies that foster unhealthy helping styles, undermine self-care and increase susceptibility to burnout and stress:
1. The Pleaser-helper: Over-identifying with the helper role & tolerating
discord.
2. The Competent, Independent Strong One: Allowing vulnerability, learning to ask and receive.
3. Being vs. feeling Responsible: Defining yourself by the good you do.
This training employs experiential learning as well as lecture and discussion.
Probably the most important part of the workshop for me was realizing how much potential there is for me to burnout. The self care plan was vital in how much I need to rely on it as my life saver right now. Since the workshop, I have done the things listed on the plan. The difference is phenomenal. I feel like I am in a committed relationship with myself. -Director, Drug and Alcohol Program
Best course I have taken here in the last two years. -Nurse, Stanford Medical Center
Your were extremely accommodating to our needs as care givers. The staff enjoyed your exercises and were stimulated into looking at how they can make their lives less stressful. -Support Clinical Services, Walden House
For information about seminars, staff trainings or private sessions call 415/922-3567 or email me at dennisportnoy[at]yahoo.com
Dennis Portnoy, a licensed psychotherapist, conducts programs on burnout prevention and self-care in the workplace. He gives presentations, seminars, and onsite trainings to hospices, associations, medical and social service organizations. Dennis is author of Overextended and Undernourished: A self care guide for people in helping roles.
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