How to Avoid Therapist Burnout Essay

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Burnout among therapists and other psychology professionals is something that should be talked about and discussed. Indeed, it affects seasoned and newer professionals alike. The basics of burnout among therapists is as followed. First of all, burnout is a direct result of job stress that stems from the numerous hazards that exist in our profession. Second, it affects most counselors, psychotherapists, and other mental health workers at some point in their career. It is often characterized as emotional exhaustion, emotional fatigue or emotional overload. This can lead to depersonalization towards the patients or one's self and this is no good at all for a mental health professional (Zurin, 2015).

There are several things that are telltale signs of burnout on the horizon. These include emotional depletion, emotional fatigue, vicarious traumatization, grandiosity and/or demonization of clients, constant worry, distraction, helplessness or loss of efficiency, inability to shut off "therapy mode," worry about board investigations and so forth. Burnout is preventable through things like practicing of personal restoration, consultation with peers, growing as a person, belonging to a professional organization, practice ethical risk management and making time for family and friends (Zurin, 2015).

Psychology today offered a different set of symptoms that are a little more "layman" in terms of the words used. These would include dragging one's self into work most days, repetition of the same interpretations over and over, giving advice as a shortcut rather than helping the patient grow and a few others.

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Other ways would include self-disclosure that does not help the client, a decline in empathy and a feeling of relief when someone cancels their appointment. These are bad signs for a therapist (Psychology Today, 2015).

As explained on Counseling Today, the proper balance is key. There is obviously a crossover between our professional and personal lives. This is to be expected. However, if one side or the other is weighing on us too much, this can lead to problems. Your work is important…it is your life. However, it cannot be the only thing that defines you and you must have other interests aside from your job. You may not immediately recognize or realize how burnout can or will affect you. However, it is only a matter of time (Counseling Today, 2015).

A huge part of preventing or healing the damage for therapists is through self-care and self-healing. Indeed, therapists and healing professionals of all times should….....

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