Ethical Self-Care and Client Care in a Crisis continued from page 9
Which Areas of Your Life Might Need Attention ? Take One of These Self-Assessments to Find Out
SPECIAL FOCUS
How to keep you rself — and your practice — thriving
Ethical Self-Care and Client Care in a Crisis continued from page 9
you ’ re stressed . A regular exercise plan that may include a daily walk , strength training , or cardio can help you maintain your weight and sleep well at night .
2 . Emotional Care : A variety of activities can support your emotional well-being , including participating in meditation , mindfulness , or yoga ; playing with your pet ; expressing your creative side through art , music , or writing ; and practicing a spiritual discipline . When the activities you choose to support your emotional health include other people , you reap the benefits of decreasing loneliness and anxiety and increasing your social activity .
Emotional well-being also involves setting limits . As LCMHCs , it is important for us to have healthy boundaries and to be aware of our limits ( see the article on pages 20 – 23 on setting boundaries to avoid burnout ). Setting limits requires sometimes saying “ no ” to maintain a healthy balance between our professional work activities and the personal parts of our lives . Just as we have compassion and empathy for our clients , it is important to remember to have self-compassion for those things we may feel pulled to do but that are beyond the limits of our physical and emotional strength at times . Self-care for our emotional well-being needs to stay in balance with our physical , mental , and environmental care , too .
3 . Mental Care : Developing the habit of self-care for our own mental state is vital — not only to our daily professional work , but especially during a crisis . Have you noticed that first responders remain calm during the most difficult challenges they face ? That ’ s because they know that presence of mind allows them to respond more effectively to these difficulties .
Start your mental health self-care by recognizing when your thinking is being influenced by how you are feeling . Once you recognize the feelings that are driving you , you can make different choices . It is not uncommon to find ourselves in situations where our automatic thoughts trigger negative feelings . Becoming aware of these automatic thoughts allows us to change our thinking and to practice different behavioral responses .
Sometimes it is our behavior rather than our thoughts that contributes to our negative emotional state . When we become aware that this is happening , smile , and know that you can empower yourself to change what you are doing , which can change how you feel .
4 . Environmental Care : The last pillar of self-care is to be aware of and care for your environment . Whether it is your counseling office or your home , a clean , organized space provides a sense of peacefulness and calm . If there are things in your environment that contribute to stress for you , find a way to address them — even
continued on page 11
Which Areas of Your Life Might Need Attention ? Take One of These Self-Assessments to Find Out
Many of these self-care practices are ideas and information we share with clients . They work very well for us as LCMHCs , too . The fact is that the work we do is hard work . We hear and see things that most of our loved ones , friends , and acquaintances will never experience .
There are few places to talk about these experiences because of the professional responsibility we have to maintain our clients ’ confidentiality . Daily self-care practices are important because they become the foundation for peace of mind and a calm demeanor . When a crisis occurs , our ability to retain this sense of calm during chaos will make all the difference . Your answers are not recorded or scored .
• Take the “ What Is Your Personal Level of Self-Care ?” Survey
This survey is a list of yes / no questions posted on the magazine ’ s website that you can answer for yourself to help you determine your personal level of self-care .
• Take “ A Self-Assessment of Warning Signs ” Survey
This survey , posted on the magazine ’ s website , provides a self-assessment of warning signs for Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors . Your answers can help you be aware of areas of mounting stress that indicate self-care needs that aren ’ t being met .
10 The Advocate Magazine 2024 , Issue # 1 American Mental Health Counselors Association ( AMHCA ) www . amhca . org