| Self-care is an intrinsic, continuous and
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| | and re-direction of blood flow to major
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| highly important activity performed by
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| | organs. With such a complex set of
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| any professional, particularly those
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| | events, it is reasonable to assume that
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| involved in health care. Also called the
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| | maintaining good health will reduce the
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| 'inner therapy', this practice aims to
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| | incidence of 'undesired' stress
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| ensure that both mental and physical
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| | (distress). In fact, it is more than
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| health of the professional is in good
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| | reasonable. Because stress causes such
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| shape. So why is self-care for
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| | 'explosive' reactions in the body, a
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| Counsellors important? Essentially,
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| | healthier body is vastly more capable of
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| Counsellors have a clear responsibility:
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| | dealing with excessive amounts of stress
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| their clients. If a Counsellor is not
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| | than an unhealthy body.How do you improve
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| mentally and physically healthy, his/her
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| | your health? Exercising will play the
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| ability to provide support to clients is
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| | leading role in improving and maintaining
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| limited.So what are the strategies for
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| | a 'healthy status', allowing your body to
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| self-care in the counselling profession?
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| | be ready for the energy boost caused by
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| There are many strategies which vary
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| | stress. A balanced diet will ensure that
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| according to each person's state of mind.
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| | the body has all nutrients necessary to
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| Irrespective of the strategy being used,
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| | perform daily activities, including
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| a Counsellor's self-care activities are
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| | regular stress-related responses. A
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| in place for a single purpose: that is,
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| | balanced diet includes avoiding excessive
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| ensuring daily work stress does not
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| | intake of particular stress-related
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| result in burnout.The Problem:
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| | substances, such as caffeine and
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| BurnoutBurnout is the consequence of
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| | sugar.MentalRelaxation techniques such as
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| excessive work, stress and other related
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| | imagery, meditation and breathing can at
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| factors. Although the concept of burnout
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| | first conjure up feelings of inaction and
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| can also be applied to other contexts,
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| | statis. Music and introspection are also
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| for the purpose of this article we'll
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| | a good combination for improving the
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| stick to the work environment. Many
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| | state of mind of a person. These are
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| people suffer from burnout for various
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| | commonly used techniques, however any
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| reasons, and usually the problem is
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| | mental exercises that draw attention away
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| related to several prominent areas of an
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| | from stressful events, and provide a
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| individual's life: happiness, health,
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| | 'relaxed' state to the individual, are
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| success, and others."Burnout is not
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| | useful. Such exercises will depend on the
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| simply excessive stress. Rather, it is a
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| | personal preferences of each Counsellor,
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| complex human reaction to ongoing stress,
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| | and the resources that are available at
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| and it relates to feeling that your inner
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| | the time.Furthermore, the role of
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| resources are inadequate for managing the
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| | perception is extremely important in
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| tasks and situations presented to you.
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| | determining the health issues associated
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| The signs and symptoms of burnout are
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| | with the incidence of stress. Sometimes
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| similar to those of stress, but burnout
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| | Counsellors perform a kind of mental
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| includes an emotional exhaustion and an
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| | 'self mutilation' in which they take
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| increasingly negative attitude toward
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| | responsibility for anything that goes
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| your work and, perhaps, your life." (Help
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| | wrong in a counselling session, or with a
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| Guide Mental Health)*This concept is
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| | client. In this context, feelings of
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| well-known in mental health disciplines,
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| | powerlessness and hopelessness will
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| particularly counselling. For this
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| | remain obstacles and can perpetuate to
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| reason, many counselling courses include
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| | the Counsellor's personal life. In these
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| the topic in their training schedule: a
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| | instances, the Counsellor needs to
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| measurement to ensure that each
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| | re-assess their perception towards
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| prospective professional is aware of
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| | certain events: you may call it a
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| their own limitations.Burnout in
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| | self-directed cognitive behaviour
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| Counsellor Training: The
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| | therapy.StrategicProbably the most
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| PrinciplesAccording to Corey, "burnout
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| | prominent cause of burnout in a workplace
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| manifests itself in many ways. Those who
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| | is the inability of an individual to meet
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| experience this syndrome typically find
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| | certain deadlines and achieve particular
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| they are tired, drained, and without
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| | goals which are simply impossible to
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| enthusiasm. They feel unappreciated,
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| | achieve in the first place. Applying
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| unrecognised, and unimportant, and they
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| | strategy as a form of burnout prevention
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| go about their jobs in a mechanical and
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| | means ensuring that goals are
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| routine way." (Theory and Practice of
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| | achievable.This way, Counsellors will not
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| Counseling and Psychotherapy)**Counsellor
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| | put themselves under unnecessary
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| education generally introduces the
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| | pressure. Furthermore, strategic thinking
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| concept of burnout to students, aiming to
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| | also allows individuals to recognise
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| provide sound theoretical material that
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| | their personal and professional
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| will help future counsellors to prevent,
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| | limitations, and work effectively with
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| understand and act upon such a problem.
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| | those limitations in order to achieve a
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| The material commonly refers to the
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| | balanced (and successful) counselling
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| causes, remedies and prevention methods
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| | career.The First Steps: Shaping a Career
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| of burnout.CausesAs cited previously,
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| | In the beginning of their counselling
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| burnout is the result of a complex human
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| | careers, most individuals are much more
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| reaction to stress. Such reaction can be
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| | sensitive to burnout than experienced
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| so diversified among people that it would
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| | Counsellors. Why is that? Because their
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| require highly advanced mathematical
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| | levels of anxiety are peaking as they are
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| algorithms to actually derive all the
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| | about to find out whether this profession
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| possible cause combinations of burnout,
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| | is really for them, and if they can
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| and the influence of each of these
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| | handle their clients and support them by
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| causes. However, despite the
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| | effectively applying the theoretical
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| unpredictability of individual responses
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| | concepts they have learned.Dealing with
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| to stress, there is a set of causes which
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| | the normal anxieties of the first few
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| are common to most people:- Performance
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| | sessions is part of the process of inner
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| of repeated activities over time which
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| | development that the counselling
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| seem to be insignificant; - Lack of
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| | profession requires from all its peers.
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| appreciation for a certain task or
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| | The fact that it deals with human beings,
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| overall effort at work; - Strong pressure
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| | which can be vastly unpredictable, will
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| to perform at work; - Excessive conflict
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| | affect the Counsellor's confidence to
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| in work relationships; - Lack of
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| | some extent. The nature of a counselling
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| opportunities for expression and
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| | session, which can have a major impact in
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| improvement; and - Presence of unresolved
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| | a client's life, also evokes doubts in
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| personal conflicts outside of the work
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| | the Counsellor's mind. It is important
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| environment.Recognising such causes is
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| | for the Counsellor to simply recognise
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| the first step to understanding a series
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| | such doubts as a normal part of their own
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| of events that may lead to burnout. The
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| | behaviour, and to understand the feelings
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| next step would involve the person's
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| | which are associated with them. Beginning
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| particular responses to mental stress and
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| | Counsellors can be so overwhelmed by
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| their capability to recognise certain
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| | their anxieties that they will fail to
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| physical traits that could indicate
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| | really 'see through' the situation. This
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| over-stressed responses from the
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| | inability to deal with a client could
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| body.RemediesBurnout remedies for
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| | result in stress and possibly
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| professional counsellors will vastly
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| | burnout.Professional Insight: Strategies
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| diverge between individuals. Resembling
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| | from CounsellorsThere are hundreds,
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| the causes, remedies are effective
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| | perhaps thousands, of strategies that can
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| according to individual traits,
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| | help a Counsellor with self care. Each
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| particularly when referring to the level
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| | individual differentiates in the
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| of stress each person can deal with.Some
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| | strategies used, and the need for them.
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| people prefer to deal with their
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| | Therefore, we've decided to get a first
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| stress-related problems by increasing or
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| | hand insight on burnout by asking two
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| decreasing certain individual activities,
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| | experienced professional Counsellors what
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| such as increasing the amount of time
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| | were their opinions and strategies
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| exercising and/or decreasing the amount
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| | towards the problem."If there are
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| of time working in the office.
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| | challenges at work, talking with somebody
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| Interactive individuals may prefer to
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| | (anybody) immediately after is called
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| work through their issues with others,
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| | de-briefing, and may result in
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| such as participating in workshops,
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| | problematic issues not manifesting within
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| consulting with their supervisors or
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| | the body and causing frustration, anger,
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| simply allocating time to talk to a
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| | hurt, and even illness. For difficult
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| friend or colleague. Many Counsellors
| |
| | clients, supervision is imperative to
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| would mix individual and group activities
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| | access a mind to break the difficulties
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| to reduce incidence of stress and attempt
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| | into manageable parts.Outside of work,
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| to eradicate burnout.Counsellors may also
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| | personally, what works for me is to have
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| diverge in their perspectives towards
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| | a regime of care for my body by attending
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| stress and burnout. Some people are
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| | a wellness centre where I involve myself
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| naturally passive and tend to surrender
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| | in a class of Aqua Fit and Yoga every
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| to their own circumstances, generally
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| | week. Massage when I can - preferably
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| putting themselves in the position of
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| | once a month or even a facial is
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| victims. This assumption leads to
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| | good.Because of Yoga, I have learned the
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| feelings of hopelessness and
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| | art of switching off in a meditative mode
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| powerlessness, which increases the
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| | very quickly, so the minute I walk
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| difficulty of dealing with stressing
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| | outside of work I am in another area of
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| factors, resulting in either a delay in
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| | life (i.e. the going home mode). I look
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| eliminating burnout, or increased
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| | forward to time spent with family and
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| intensity. However, there are also
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| | good friends or attending a movie and
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| Counsellors who are proactive towards
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| | eating pop corn - to me, that is bliss.
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| stress. Such people have a different
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| | Then by the time I go back to work I feel
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| perspective towards stressful events -
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| | as if I've been away for a week. This
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| they recognise the individual traits
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| | works really well for me - the art of
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| which are affecting them, and actively
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| | deceit of your own mind." (Kathleen
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| attempt to resolve them through a mix of
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| | Casagrande, AIPC Education Adviser)"To
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| introspection and scenario analysis. This
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| | function effectively as a Counsellor we
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| approach - or active stance - is desired
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| | need to be in good shape personally -
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| in order to improve stress management
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| | physically, mentally and
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| skills and avoid burnout.In an industry
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| | emotionally.Given that, just like
|
| where human relationships are so
| |
| | everyone else, we will have times of
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| intrinsically related to work, it is
| |
| | difficulty in our own lives, it is
|
| sometimes inevitable to experience
| |
| | particularly important for us to
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| distress and burnout. On these occasions,
| |
| | recognise the danger signals and take
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| it is important that Counsellors
| |
| | action to deal with any undue stress
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| effectively remediate burnout in order to
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| | quickly.Like many of my colleagues I have
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| invoke balance in both professional and
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| | a number of tried and tested remedies for
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| personal lives.Prevention It is better to
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| | keeping my life in balance.A quick fix
|
| prevent rather than remediate - this
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| | which I can use anytime and in any
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| saying illustrates the need for
| |
| | stressful situation is to concentrate on
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| preventing burnout before it happens.
| |
| | my breathing rhythm and deliberately make
|
| Most people ignore the first signs of
| |
| | it slower and deeper.Listening to music
|
| excessive stress, and by doing so, become
| |
| | is a sure-fire way for me to de-stress,
|
| vulnerable to further pressure from work.
| |
| | as are walking on a beach, playing
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| At some point, Counsellors may find it
| |
| | tennis, being out on the water or getting
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| very difficult to attend counselling
| |
| | involved with a good book.On the subject
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| sessions, to get to work, and to perform
| |
| | of reading, I work on maintaining and
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| in several other areas of life.
| |
| | upgrading my skills and knowledge -
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| Preventing burnout is simply a necessary
| |
| | having confidence in one's ability is an
|
| task to anyone aiming for a balanced and
| |
| | important element in avoiding workplace
|
| fulfilling career (and life).There are
| |
| | stress.And my very favourite way to look
|
| several burnout prevention principles
| |
| | after myself? A glass of wine on a sunny
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| which can be divided into three
| |
| | afternoon with my partner somewhere by
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| categories: physical, mental and
| |
| | the water." (Wendy Mead, AIPC Senior
|
| strategic.PhysicalStress is a pattern of
| |
| | Education Adviser)Sources
|
| physiological responses which are caused
| |
| | *Help Guide Mental Health (
|
| by specific events in people's lives.
| |
| | ** Corey G (1996) Theory and Practice of
|
| Such responses include an increase in
| |
| | Counseling and Psychotherapy (p. 44).
|
| blood pressure, heart rate, sugar levels
| |
| |
|