Are you a mental or physical health care professional
who values self-care and healing?
Helping others heal can take a toll on our own wellness. Thankfully what used to be negatively thought of as “burnout” is now better understood as vicarious trauma or compassion fatigue. We now understand that walking with others on their paths of healing from physical and emotional trauma can create a trauma response in our own bodies. Symptoms of this response can include: hypervigilance and hyperarousal, disturbances in eating and sleeping, loss of interest and joy, anger and irritation, numbing or avoidance, and feelings of loss of control or hopelessness about our work.
One of my favorite parts of my work is supporting social workers, therapists, physicians, nurses and emergency responders in staying healthy themselves, so that they can best support the folks they work with. Together we access the wisdom of the body and cultivate the stillness needed for deep healing and nourishment with the intention of letting go of that which isn’t theirs and opening to the joy of what is.
If you are a mental or physical healthcare professional who is experiencing symptoms of vicarious trauma or if you want to focus on prevention through support and resiliency building, consider calling me today to set up an appointment. Taking the time to for self-care is the best gift we can give to ourselves, our families, and to those we work with.
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Are you a Human Services Agency Director or Supervisor
Who Wants to Cultivate a Culture of Resiliency & Wellness Within Your Agency?
In my role as Program Director of the Human Services program at Virginia Western Community College, I like to think that I “help make social workers.” As a therapist and consultant, I love helping agencies create a culture of resiliency and wellness that encourages the skill development needed for workers to remain, healthy, creative, productive and engaged throughout the course of their careers.
I have partnered with Roanoke City Social Services for several years to provide staff trainings including monthly on-site resiliency groups for their social workers and bimonthly off-site resiliency retreats for their supervisors. I dream of expanding these practices throughout the Roanoke social work and human services community with a goal of creating a community that values health and resiliency in the workplace as we do the work of helping others heal.
Call me today to explore creative ways we can partner to grow a culture of health and resiliency at your agency.