Working with traumatized and stressed people might cause compassion fatigue. It is common for healthcare providers, and especially private therapists who work with individuals for more than 25 hours per week, to report burnout. Compassion fatigue can lead to a breakdown, a burn out or other personal difficulties. Compassion fatigue symptoms include isolation by choice, resentment, repeated misunderstanding, diminished focus, lack of empathy, nightmares, feelings that emerge in a client’s horror story, apathy, overwhelming sadness, insomnia, general negativity, inability to separate work from home, reluctance to change, avoiding leisure, and psychosomatic pains when away from the office, among other signs.
Step 1: Initiate a downtime state. #
Step 2: Pay attention to your body. #
Begin by closing your eyes and taking a few deep breaths.
Step 3: Consider one episode of compassion fatigue. #
Start feeling into the experience by selecting a client who drains you or a session where you’ve felt distant or impatient. What comes to mind?
Step 4: Next, pay attention to your body. #
What sensations do you have in your body? What are you feeling inside your skin?
Step 5: On a physical level, take note of the source of the disturbance. #
Allow yourself to let go of the story or the reason. Concentrate solely on the body. What is the actual location of the disturbance in the body?
Step 6: Ask the compassion part of you to come forward. #
Step 7: Now imagine what the disturbance is about, and ask the compassion part what your body needs right now to overcome it. #
Write down three qualities that your compassion part says that your body needs to overcome the disturbance.
Step 8: Create a symbol to hold the three qualities together. #
Step 9: Dissociate to the third perceptual position and see yourself applying these qualities in several real-life scenarios. #
Imagine expanding the symbol over the mental scene.
Step 10: Notice how your reaction in the imaginary scenario is different as a result of applying these qualities. #
Step 11: Thank the compassion part. #
Step 12: Test. #
In the coming days and weeks, take purposeful short breaks between sessions to recall the symbol and apply it backwards and forwards on your timeline.