How Can A Psychologist Handle Their Own Emotional Challenges And Prevent Burnout?

EMOTIONAL CHALLENGES THAT MAY LEAD TO BURNOUT FOR A PSYCHOLOGIST

Like all other humans, psychologists can find themselves emotionally overwhelmed. This can happen when clients require significant emotional support or when therapists encounter their own triggers. Such situations can stir up emotional distress, and if these negative feelings persist for a prolonged period of time, it can ultimately lead to burnout.

Burnout is a state where individuals lose control over their mental, physical and emotional abilities. It is a state of complete exhaustion, where individuals doubt themselves, feel anxious, helpless and so on.

For psychologists, it’s natural to face numerous emotional challenges because their profession involves dealing with clients’ emotions, which can be overwhelming at times. Often, professionals may find themselves connecting their own experiences with those of their clients, resulting in over empathy and ultimately contributing to burnout.

TYPES OF EMOTIONAL CHALLENGES:

• Compassion Fatigue is a common challenge where the therapist starts to over empathize with the client’s emotions.
• Being unable to help the client due to their resistance can lead to a feeling of helplessness in the therapist.
• Professionals in private practice do not get the opportunity to share certain emotionally triggering cases with their colleagues and supervisors which may limit their scope for emotional ventilation.

• Frequently, personal triggers can intrude into a professional’s life, disrupting their work-life equilibrium, and this phenomenon is quite commonplace when working with clients.
• When a professional faces an excessive workload with numerous clients in a single day, it can result in emotional exhaustion. Conversely, a lack of clients can evoke feelings of self-doubt and a sense of worthlessness in the professional.

However, it is possible to recognize emotional challenges by being self-aware, reflecting back through introspection and so on.

FROM EMOTIONAL CHALLENGES TO BURNOUT

• Prolonged periods of stress in a therapist’s life often culminate in burnout.
• Therapists are often expected to provide continuous service without much consideration for their own emotional well-being, which can ultimately result in burnout.
• Clients with unclear boundaries invading the therapist’s personal space can contribute to therapist burnout.

KEY SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF BURNOUT

 Physical Symptoms

• Frequent headaches
• Gastrointestinal concerns
• Loss of appetite
• Disturbed sleep cycle

 Emotional Symptoms

• Difficulty concentrating
• Difficulty sustaining attention
• Feeling fatigue
• Loss of interest
• Loss of motivation
• Feelings of helplessness and self-doubt

 Behavioral Symptoms

• Poor productivity
• Isolating from social interactions
• Displacing one’s own frustration onto others
• Escaping from responsibilities
• Using substances to cope with challenges

ROLE OF SELF-AWARENESS IN PREVENTING BURNOUT

• Self awareness helps to identify early symptoms of burnout.
• It helps to take early precautions to avoid burnout.
• It boosts a professional’s self-confidence, enabling them to take prompt action to prevent burnout.
• It empowers individuals to modify their actions in a manner that will positively impact the result.

STRATEGIES TO MANAGE DAY-TO-DAY EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING

• Being with friends.
• Spending time in nature.
• Meditating.
• Practicing relaxation techniques.
• Take long breathes in between sessions.
• Maintaining a proper diet and sleep schedule.
• Journaling.
• Engaging in positive self-talk.
• Engaging in creative activities.
• Occasionally moving around to release tension from the body.

PRECAUTIONS TO TAKE

• Reflecting on one’s own emotions and feelings.
• Accepting that professionals might have certain limitations with respect to seeing clients.
• Maintaining a specific time according to the session schedule and trying not to exceed the limit.
• Respecting one’s boundaries and referring to other professionals specific cases that might be personally triggering.
• Pre-sessions might be taken to get a summary of the case, to identify and avoid possible triggers associated with it.
• Practicing self-care techniques.
• Normalize postponing sessions to take care of one’s own mental health.
• Going for one’s own therapy, as needed.

BALANCING EMPATHY WITH SELF-CARE

• Balancing empathy with self-care is about keeping healthy boundaries. Being empathetic is not necessarily meant to be sacrificing one’s own well-being. So, it’s essential to assertively manage the time spent with clients.
• It’s crucial to compartmentalize one’s cognitive and emotional involvement with clients from their personal life to prevent future emotional exhaustion.
• Accepting and prioritizing one’s own needs over clients’ needs outside of therapy sessions is vital for maintaining balance.
• Acknowledging one’s limitations and avoiding over extension is crucial. It’s important to refer clients to other professionals, when their experiences trigger personal discomfort.

ESTABLISHING HEALTHY BOUNDARIES WITH CLIENTS

• Providing a clear explanation of ethical boundaries during the initial session with the client.
• Setting rules (such as not to bring gifts or not engaging in physical contact) and following them throughout.
• Restricting communication (except in cases of emergency) beyond the therapy session.
• Being extremely cautious about self-disclosure.
• Ensuring clarity in communication with the client, meaning that the therapist’s words are straightforward and easily understood by the client.