I recently took an incredible five-day rafting trip along Idaho’s Salmon River. Known as “The River of No Return,” in an ironic twist, this adventure allowed me to return to myself in ways I had not anticipated. We were completely off-grid and I’ll admit, no cell service initially made me a bit uneasy. But this forced disconnect from work and daily stress gave me space to connect with myself and my inspiring group of travel partners. It allowed me time to reflect on what it looks like to prioritize my own care - and what self-care looks like in a profession that centers on caring for others.
In my EMDR Basic Training I use the analogy of a river that, over the years, has become blocked by fallen trees. The trees represent traumas that have happened along the course of our lives. As therapists, our role is to support our clients as they clear those trees to allow for a life that ebbs and flows with more ease and freedom. But how, as healing professionals, are we making sure the “trees” of burnout, compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma, or our own personal trauma haven’t blocked our abilities to be our fullest selves - both inside and outside of the therapy room?
Self-care is an often talked about topic among mental health professionals but with our busy schedules, it often gets pushed down our to-do lists. Sometimes, it’s reduced to bubble baths and candles and though soothing, we know a bubble bath won’t wash away unexamined triggers showing up in our sessions or relationships. So how do we care for ourselves while caring for others? Are we missing opportunities to reflect on how our personal care impacts our professional care?
In this upcoming blog series, I am going to take a deeper dive into recognizing burnout, being aware of compassion fatigue, and identifying the symptoms of vicarious trauma - all of which are normal responses to heavy emotional care that can have very real consequences to our physical and emotional health. I would love to hear from others on how you are navigating your own self-care. Drop a comment and let me know what self-care looks like for you.