Self-Care Plan & Ideas by

One of the biggest takeaways I learned from the resources I read, is that work-life balance is crucial for the counselor profession. Self care is what keeps counselors effective and efficient. Self care is what stops counselors from experiencing burnout or secondary trauma. Self care allows for counselors to decompress and not over-analyze their work or patients.

hdockter1 — 2024-04-17 20:58:53 UTC

Burnout comes in different forms, for example, depersonalization or emotional exhaustion. It is important for counselors to be aware of if these things begin happening to them and to also be aware if colleagues begin to experience these symptoms of burnout. Secondary trauma can occur when counselors relate or take on trauma that their clients are experiencing. It is important for counselors to have a plan in place if this occurs and to take action with their self-care practices if they begin to experience secondary trauma.

Reading is my go-to choice when I need a little "Me Time."

hdockter1 — 2024-04-17 20:59:40 UTC

Walking or Exercising is a great way to practice self care!

hdockter1 — 2024-04-17 21:00:44 UTC

Self care is important for everyone, but especially those in the helping profession, such as counselors.

hdockter1 — 2024-04-17 21:14:33 UTC

Self care allows counselors to self-reflect and self-manage their lives. Also, self care gives helping professionals a chance to simply decompress and relax. It is crucial for counselors to practice self care that way they can help themselves become better, and help their clients become better. They can help their clients more when counselors are confident, genuine, and relaxed, which is achieved when counselors practice self care.

Planning is a type of self care that is extremely helpful for me!

hdockter1 — 2024-04-17 21:20:14 UTC

Planning allows me to see my day or month instead of trying to remember it all. It allows me to be prepared for everything and see what I need to accomplish throughout my days.

Self care strategies can be different for everyone, and it is important for everyone to find ways that best suit them. Meaning: what works for me, may not work for you.

hdockter1 — 2024-04-17 21:25:19 UTC

My images are some representations of the different strategies I use and plan to use in my future role as a counselor. My personal strategies for self care are as follows:

-Reading (mostly fiction)

-Planning (I have a handheld calendar and a white board calendar)

-Art (I enjoy coloring books and painting)

-Exercising (I love taking walks with my dog, Luna)

-Eating Healthy (eating good allows me to feel good, which is the point of self care)

Eating clean allows me to feel good, which will allow me to do my job well and feel confident.

hdockter1 — 2024-04-17 21:26:51 UTC

Creating art allows for the artist to explore their feelings or discover unknown feelings. Art is a great outlet for self-discovery and self-reflection.

hdockter1 — 2024-04-17 21:30:46 UTC

Having enough sleep is vital for counselors!

hdockter1 — 2024-04-20 01:47:47 UTC

Sleeping well and for enough time allows counselors to feel well-rested and ready to take on their days with confidence and energy!

Journaling is similar to art when it comes to self-care. It allows you to become aware of what is going on in your life and can allow you to "shed" off your day, by writing down your thoughts and feelings.

hdockter1 — 2024-04-20 01:50:31 UTC

Acknowledge your growth and client growth!

hdockter1 — 2024-04-20 01:55:04 UTC

It is important to acknowledge the growth that you experience within your career or personal life. Also, it is important to acknowledge your client growth. An idea I found within the resources is writing down achievements you have made or your client has made in a jar, so you can read them when you need a reminder of why you are a counselor or are having a bad day. This is definitely something I will be doing in my future role, as a counselor.