Homework Question on Self-Care for Counselors and Mental Health Professionals
- The Importance of Self-Care for Counselors and Mental Health Professionals
Homework Answer on Self-Care for Counselors and Mental Health Professionals
Self-care is quite necessary despite being often ignored. Complementing a healthy mind with healthy body is fundamental for both personal and professional existence. While the original emphasis of health and wellness in counseling focused on evaluating and enhancing client wellness, it was soon discovered that stress also had an effect on the performance of health care professionals (Young & Lambie, 2007).
Counselors and mental health professionals are not resistant to the effects of life’s demand while undertaking their duties.They often experience “compassion fatigue” that result from emotional labor, which is part of their responsibilities.According to the National Survey of the Work and Health of Nurses in Canada, almost 20% of nurses claimed that their mental health has hindered their productivity while over 50% of nurses missed their work due to physical illness caused by mental health problems (Mathieu, 2007).
Counseling professionals should give priority to their mental and physical requirements by working toward particular goals. Self-care requires counselors to hit a balance to avoid occupational vulnerability. The mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program is exceptionally effective in enhancing quality of mindfulness, which is responsible for creating the positive effects of the intervention (Shapiro, Brown & Biegel, 2007).Counselors can learn how to avoid compassion fatigue and posttraumatic growth by connecting to their personal, as well as professional activities that offset the negative effects of such disturbances (Lambert & Lawson, 2013).