Professional Care Program

One of the things that struck me about Shirley was the level of clarity of her insight.

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I first went to see Shirley 10 years ago when I was having trouble finding and staying in a realtionship. More

Shirley gave me a safe place to come and bare my soul.

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Who listens to you and supports you?

You may be a Naturopath, Masseur, Herbalist or anyone working in the allied health industry. Compasssion fatigue is a well documented and accepted phenomenon in the health care industry. The key signs of compassion fatigue are:

• Withdrawal from those you love
• A loss of interest in things that you enjoy
• Physical disturbances- headaches, gastrointestinal upsets, muscle aches and pains
• Sleep disturbance
• Irritability with clients
• Feeling unsure what to do next with clients
• Emotionally fragile- possibly even disconnected from day to day life
• Clients stop calling - clients often pick up your fatigue before you do.... and they either aren't getting the support they need or they decide that you seem very busy and that they can deal with whatever is happening themselves

Consider this- you are a witness to people's lives and it requires patience, compassion and great skill to be able to hold a therapeutic space for the client whilst being able to take care of yourself as well. Whilst many of these events are happening to other people, don't be surprised that they also can have an effect on you.... and if you have had to deal with a lot of stressed clients recently , what do you do to take care of yourself? If you aren't taking care of you then you risk becoming ill yourself. You certainly can't do your job at an optimum level and work can really start to become a drag.

Here is how I can support you:

• Regular debriefing sessions- it is invaluable to come and talk about what has been happening for you. Sometimes it can be very useful to be just reminded about the best way to take care of yourself... and if you're not sure what that is, then together we can put together a personalised program of self care. If face to face is not possible, I also offer skype and phone support. These sessions are also tax deductible as part of your professional care and an expense of running your business. Members of ATMS & ANTA receive a special discount for these sessions.
• Develop an awareness of the relationship that you and your client create together. Have you ever wondered why you haven't heard back from a client? Or they suddenly stop seeing you? Or a client finds it difficult to cope without you? Once you have a framework of understanding why this might be happening you can use this knowledge to therapeutically support both yourself and your client. I wish that I had been taught this when I completed my Naturopathic studies... once you understand the dynamic you can deal with the situation in a way that actually empowers you and your client.
•  Explore the treatment options you have been using- whilst these sessions are not advisory as to what you might choose to do with someone, as a qualified Naturopath and lecturer in this field, I can support you to critically assess and re-look at the case for aspects that you may have overlooked or misinterpreted.

Who would most benefit from a professional care program.

• Recent graduates- as a new graduate, it felt like I learnt more in my first year of practice than in all the years of study leading up to that moment. I made lots of mistakes and felt lost at times- if I had someone I could have regularly talked to who understood what I was going through, it would have been a lot easier and I most probably would have been better able to support those clients I had.
• One off session- you might be quite experienced but facing a situation in clinic that is new and not sure what to do. I can support you to gain some clarity and help you draw on the resources that may be around you .
• Regular care- compassion fatigue isn't an overnight phenomenon. It is slow and gradual and often by the time you are there, you are too fatigued to actually realise or do anything about it. My sense is that our industry has lost a lot of exceptional practitioners to compassion fatigue. Regular sessions can help call out the early warning signs of compassion fatigue and by having a safe space to regularly debrief , the possibility of compassion fatigue occuring is drastically reduced.

What to do Now?

If you are interested in exploring this further then I am happy to extend a 30 minute complimentary session either face to face, skype or phone for you to guage whether this is something that should be a regular part of your professional care. To organise a  session it's best to call me on 07 55306708 or email me and let's talk. You might wonder how you ever got on without it.

Shirley