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I have long been interested in counselor self-care mostly because during my nearly 30 years of working as a counselor, I have personally fought against burnout, secondary trauma, and even secondhand depression especially when I was working in heavy trauma treatment environments. My biggest takeaway after reviewing the resources is that what I have experienced is a normal and expected risk of doing this kind of work and that surviving and even thriving in the counseling profession requires a higher level of diligence and intentionality for self preservation that is likely not required in other non-helping occupations. Reading the resources was very validating because knowing self-care is an ethical requirement means it is not simply recommended, but it is an obligation that I can pursue guilt-free.

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Importance of Self-Care in the Helping Professions

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Importance of Self-Care in the Helping Professions

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The ethical requirement for self-care leads to clients getting the best help offered from a healthy counselor as the counselor takes steps to support their own wellness. I want to be effective in the work which necessitates a true investment in my own wellness. I am reminded of two old metaphors. The first one is about being in an airplane when suddenly the pressure changes, the oxygen masks fall from the ceiling, and the person must put the oxygen mask on oneself first before helping the person in the next seat put on an oxygen mask. The other is that a person cannot pour from an empty cup. The importance of self-care is that counselors must put on their own oxygen masks and fill their own cups to truly be able to help another person. I can only teach others to breathe and be filled because I have intentionally added into my own life the essential elements of a healthy life. To truly be present with clients or students, effective in the work, and professionally ethical, I must invest in my own physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual wellness.

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My first strategy I will call "break in the day." This means that as difficult as it sometimes is to do with so many demands and so many needs, I will stop what I am doing during the work day and go outside for fresh air, sunshine, and nature even if it is five minutes. When I do this self-care during the work day, it gives me an immediate refreshing boost because it takes me out of the building, gives me a mental break, and allows me to downshift from the stress of counseling.

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My second strategy falls in the creative category and is tap dancing. This is great self-care for me because it is not only a brain break that has nothing to do with my regular work, tap dancing includes movement, fun music, and socializing with friends. My accountability to do this activity every week is that I have to show up for class because I am the teacher of an adult tap class!

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This is me tap dancing in the Granbury Theatre Company's recent production of Singin' in the Rain. It rained on stage while were were tapping, and doing this was an item on my bucket list for many years. It is now checked off!