Manage Your Energy for Optimal Ethical Therapy
Is there a connection between ethics, performance and self-care? Absolutely! According to Mary Jo Barrett, MSW, there is not only a link between these elements but she argues that it is not ethical for a social worker (or other mental health provider) to not be emotionally or physically fit.
In a nutshell, this is because the more exhausted a therapist you are, the more likely you are to incur some sort of boundary violation and/or not be fully attuned to your client.
Taking breaks and pacing your life are key.
As an example, the importance of taking regular bathroom breaks throughout the day was stressed. This is a biological need that you may frequently forget to give yourself. You may think this has no impact on your work, but it does.
You will inevitably be spending part of a session thinking about needing to go to the bathroom and this takes away from your presence and concentration on your client and his/her needs.
To achieve optimal performance, health and happiness, you need to skillfully manage your energy.
Below is an infographic detailing key lessons from Mary Jo’s talk “Shhh! The Ethical Dilemmas No One Talks About” at the 2013 Psychotherapy Networker Symposium.
Lastly, one additional component that Mary Jo shared in her talk was an exercise that combined components of meditation with guided imagery and a writing exercise.
For this practice alone, you may wish to consider purchasing access to her talk [you can jump ahead to almost the very last 20 minutes of the audio] or keep your eyes open for when she will be coming out for her book which will be including a download of her exercise. It’s that good!
What are your thoughts/comments? Which energy replenishers on the infographic would you consider incorporating into your daily routine? Are there others that you would recommend adding to the list?
Image: Mary Jo Barrett, MSW
Dear Dorlee,
When I focus on self-care at work, I work on being centered and grounded and releasing negative energy. I don’t think of it in terms of replenishing energy, so this is a helpful perspective.
I already use breathing, meditation, prayer, and humor and I have a jar of nuts on hand for a protein boost. At home I love reading novels and doing tai chi. I am working on adding more exercise to my routine and getting enough sleep. I sometimes forget to drink enough water. So these are all good reminders for me.
Thanks for sharing what you learned from Mary Jo Barrett’s talk.
Warmly,
Andrea
Dear Andrea,
Thank so much for stopping by and sharing some of your thoughts about self-care.
It sounds like you employ quite a number of energy replenishers into your routine both during the day and at home. How wonderful!
It was my pleasure to share these tips from Mary Jo Barrett’s talk – I think we all need from time to time those friendly reminders and/or concrete tips on how to incorporate self-care into our daily routine 🙂
Warmly,
Dorlee
Hello Dorlee,
What an interesting point of view, the connection between self-care and performing ethically! It certainly makes sense. I’ve tweeted your post and have just now posted it on LinkedIn. It’s a great share. There are take-aways here not only for mental health providers, but also for corporate leaders, and well actually — Everyone!
Very much enjoyed your post,
Jackie Yun
Hi Jackie,
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts about managing your energy.
I too, prior to hearing Mary Jo speak, had never heard anyone make the argument for self-care based on ethical performance but the more she spoke, the more I could see the logic in it…
That’s a great point; these take-aways could be beneficial for many people, regardless of their profession. Most people probably get buried with the day to day requirements of work and forget to nourish themselves with enough energy replenishers so as to be at their best throughout the day.
Also, thanks so much for your kind RT’ing!
Warmly,
Dorlee
When I focus on self care, I eat protein, drink coffe, take a walk with my husky and dance. Thanks for your post.
It was my pleasure, Dora.
Thanks for sharing your self-care methods!