It may be cliché to say, nonetheless it is true for me, going outside helps me to get outside of my head and away from my stressors. Fresh air freshens my take on things and clears my mind; I am able to look at everything differently with time and space.

The individual cups stacked together to make one tower is representative of the different parts of the self-concept, the various parts that make one whole.

If the cups are not balanced and too much is poured into them, the structure loses integrity and becomes unstable. The instability makes the cup ineffective in its purpose.

Self care is a way to balance all that we as counselors have poured into us. We must compartmentalize and have boundaries, similar to each of these cups, in order to maintain the integrity of our own purpose and structure as both counselors and humans.

Healthy diet-helps maintain immune system and overall health which may be affected by external stressors

Exercise helps release neurotransmitters to combat extrenal stressors

Sleep helps the body and mind rejuvenate and helps with patience and perspective. Maintaining composure and patience becomes difficult when fatigued.

Meditation and gratitude help shift focus from negative thoughts to clearer thoughts.

Boundaries and awareness of the traumas within the profession can help establish coping mechanisms.

Seeking relationships with colleagues builds a team which lends to helping one another and less of an isolated feeling.

Relationships with other peers in the mental health field can help the professional talk out the situation and work on solutions together.

Seeking mental health and recognizing overstressed feelings within one-self shows confidence in the system, and a sense of self-knowledge.

Balance of personal time, family-friend time, and work time allows oneself to establish and maintain boundaries.

Exposure to other people's traumas can have lasting effects on mental health professionals and first responders. It is important to first take proactive steps to reduce the risk of being affected by the situations affecting the helpee. It is more difficult to take a reactive approach once the effect has taken place. However, it is not always possible to prevent any side effects from working with a helpee, so it is imperative to recognize the symptoms of STSD or compassion fatigue along with burnout. The responder or helper should seek help and take time to heal when they have been effected in this way.

Helping others overcome trauma, exposes the helper to the trauma, although it is different, it still leaves its own effect.