Crisis & Support Resources for practitioners
"Reaching out for support is not a sign of burnout; it is a sign of professional maturity. Using these resources ensures you stay healthy enough to continue the incredible work you do for our clients. There is no 'heroism' in struggling alone."
Before You Need It: Prepare Your Support Plan
One of the most helpful things we can do for ourselves as practitioners is to identify our support options before we need them.
When we are distressed, overwhelmed, exhausted or dealing with the aftermath of a particularly difficult piece of clinical work, it can be surprisingly difficult to remember who we can contact, where to find the relevant information, or what options are available to us.
Having this information prepared in advance means that we don't have to make those decisions in the middle of a difficult moment.
Consider creating your own Crisis & Support Resource List and keeping it somewhere that is easy to access — for example, saved...
Vicarious Trauma and self care
This discussion is designed to help supervisees monitor the cumulative impact of trauma work and build a sustainable personal plan to ensure you can remain prepared, aware and supported.
1: The "Temperature Check"
Vicarious Trauma (VT) is a transformation in your inner experience resulting from empathetic engagement with clients' trauma material.
Reflect on the past month. Have you noticed any of the following?
Cognitive: Changes in how you view the world (e.g., increased cynicism, feeling the world is unsafe).
Emotional: Feeling overwhelmed, "bystander guilt," or unexpected anger/sadness.
Physical: Difficulty sleeping, heightened startle response, or lingering exhaustion.
Behavioural: Social withdrawal or avoiding certain types of client stories.
2: Identifying "Safe Spaces" & Boundaries
Healthy boundaries are the first step in being truly empathic and compassionate without losing yourself.
Work/Life Transition: What is one specific "ritual" you use to leave work at work? (e.g., a specific playlist on the drive home, changing clothes immediately).
The "Safe Place": Where do you feel most at ease? How often did you spend...
