Self-Care Tips for EMDR Therapists to Prevent Burnout and Secondary PTSD

By Maiberger Institute

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As we have been exploring how to help clients stay resourced over the holidays, it is also important, as therapists, to stay resourced also. It is easy in this profession to forget about one’s own needs but still expect our client’s to maintain theirs. Listening and working with client’s issues and traumas all day long, can take a toll on one’s own psyche... emotionally, mentally, spiritually and physically.

As EMDR therapists, we work with trauma states verbally and non-verbally, which sometimes can be exhausting if we are not aware of our own energy levels. It is important to recognize if you are under stress in your own life and acknowledge and work with it consciously to stay grounded and present. Containing one’s own issues as a therapist is a critical skill to be able to be “present” for your client. Some therapists find that they start "checking out" during sessions because they become bored, distracted, anxious, irritated, etc. Containment is a skill that must be practiced and maintained during sessions and deal with the stressors at a more appropriate time.

You might be just fine in your life, but end the day after seeing clients feeling very stressed, overwhelmed and too attached to your client’s issues or traumas. If this persists, you might be experiencing secondary PTSD symptoms, where the client’s traumas are traumatizing you. This is very common in trauma work and needs to be recognized as quickly as possible to be dealt with. If gone unchecked, it can lead to many symptoms that can lead a therapist to feel burned out and not wanting to do therapy any longer.

Here are some signs that you might be stressed or having secondary PTSD symptoms:

· Having trouble falling asleep

· Trouble staying asleep

· Having trouble waking up.

· Over-eating

· Under-eating

· Turning to substances to not feel

· Feeling disconnected from work

· Feeling disconnected from client’s issues

· Bored during sessions

· Anxious during sessions

· Impatient with the process

· Feeling overwhelmed by client’s issues

· Can't "turn off" client’s issues once they are out of your office

· Isolating from friends - can't listen to their problems

· Feel like can't keep up with basic routines

Having a Self-Care plan is essential in order to maintain balance in your health emotionally, mentally, spiritually and physically. It is also important if you are feeling burned out, to stop and come up with a plan to rejuvenate in order to not have full blown burn out. Here are some ideas to think about:

· Start meditating

· Start a gratitude journal

· Find your favorite way to exercise: walking, biking, hiking, lifting weights

· Take dance classes

· Take an art class

· Time some personal time off from your practice

· Get into therapy

· Get into a consultation group

· Find what brings you joy

Knowing that the holidays can be stressful for many people, as therapists, we are not immune to the letting go of self-care and letting the stress run our lives. Take a moment to check in -- how are you doing today? Do you need more personal time? If you say yes, then give yourself one of the best gifts ever this year: Take time to take care of YOU

Author's Bio:

Barb Maiberger, MA, LPC

Instructor:

EMDR Basic Training

Co-Instructor:

Barb Maiberger, MA, LPC is the author of “EMDR Essentials: A Guide for Clients and Therapists”. She teaches therapists EMDR as an integrative trauma therapy through weekend trainings and consultation. Barb is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the State of Colorado and has a Masters degree in Somatic Psychology. She is an EMDRIA Approved Provider of the EMDR Basic Training and Consultant. Barb’s knowledge, experience, keen sense of empathy, and a strong presence have motivated hundreds of therapists to incorporate EMDR into their practices.

Leona Furnari, LCSW

Facilitator:

EMDR Basic Training

Leona Furnari, L.C.S.W. is a psychotherapist specializing in recovery from trauma, including recovery from abusive/cultic groups and relationships. She is an EMDRIA-approved Consultant, has facilitated EMDR trainings for many years, and provides individual and group consultation for newly-trained and experienced EMDR clinicians. She works with adolescents & adults, and facilitates support groups for adolescents dealing with grief, family change and peer relationships. http://www.leonafurnari.com

Olga Vera-NeSmith, PhD

Facilitator:

EMDR Basic Training

Instructor:

Integrating DBT and EMDR

Dr. Vera-NeSmith is a licensed Clinical Psychologist who has over 20 years of experience in the mental health field. She is an EMDRIA Certified EMDR therapist and a Consultant – in – training. She specializes in working with children, adolescents, adults and also Cross Cultural issues, using EMDR and integrating other treatment modalities such as Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Play therapy, Parent/Child Psychotherapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Family systems Approach. Dr. Vera-Nesmith also serves the Spanish speaking community. Dr. Vera-NeSmith currently is offering consultation groups specializing in EMDR. Dr. Vera-Nesmith believes that clients have the innate capacity and wisdom to heal and EMDR facilitates this process. http://www.verapsychology.com/

Arielle Schwartz, PhD, LPC

Facilitator:

EMDR Basic Training

Co-instructor:

Somatic Interventions and EMDR

Arielle Schwartz PhD, LPC is a licensed psychotherapist with a PhD in Clinical Psychology and a previous MA from Naropa University in Somatic Psychology: Body-Centered Psychotherapy. She is Certified in EMDR and has facilitated the EMDR Basic Training since 2007 with Barb Maiberger. Dr. Schwartz provides psychotherapy to adults and children; her specializations include working with PTSD, chronic illness, women during pregnancy and postpartum, and supporting the parent-child relationship through filial play-therapy. For more information about her work you may call contact her at (303) 819-0623.

Katie Asmus, MA, LPC

Co-Instructor:

EMDR Toolkit for Complex PTSD

Katie Asmus, MA, LPC, is a Body-Centered Psychotherapist and Educator. With 17 years experience working in the wilderness, and 12 years as a clinician working with a variety of populations, Katie has spent a great deal of her career bridging the two in the field of Wilderness Therapy. After realizing the prevalence of trauma in our society, Katie focused her graduate studies and thesis work on body-centered modalities for working with trauma in the wilderness, bringing this work to the fields of Adventure Education and Wilderness Therapy. She has presented nationally for 7 years on this topic, and has published a journal article entitled, "Emotional Risk Management: Identifying and Working with Emotional Trauma in the Wilderness Setting through Body Centered Interventions". Katie was also part of the creation and facilitation of the first Clinical First Responder Course offered at Naropa University in 2004.

Click HERE for more information about the Maiberger Institute:
http://www.maibergerinstitute.com