The ACA Virtual Conference 2021 experience started strong with a self-catering keynote panel.
We all know that self-care is important, but it can be difficult to define because there is no “right” way to care for yourself.
Gerald Corey, one of the four main speakers, emphasized the importance of reflecting every day, even if it only lasts a few minutes, about how your day is going and what changes you would like to make.
“Think holistically about self-care and not just about physical activity. Remember about relationships, purpose in life, having fun, reestablishing our existence, engaging with life rather than withdrawing and detaching, ”says Corey, Professor Emeritus of Human Services and Counseling at California State University Fullerton.
Michelle Muratori, a senior counselor at the Center for Talented Youth at Johns Hopkins University, notes that her own inner boundaries are stronger when attending to her self-care needs, which enables her to be emotionally present with clients in the session to be and let them have their own pain.
Gerald Corey, Michelle Muratori, Jude T. Austin II, and Julius A. Austin, co-authors of the ACA-published book Counselor Self-Care, presented the opening address for the American Counseling Association's Virtual Conference Experience 2021 on Aug. . April. The theme for the first week of the month-long conference is self-care.
Create a self-sufficiency plan that works for you.
Counselors can have insight and awareness, but if they don't have a self-care plan of their own – one that is simple and realistic – there will be no change, claims Corey, a member of the American Counseling Association. This plan provides an opportunity for counselors to think about how they can change their activities to function better personally and professionally.
“It helps to have [the self-care plan] in writing and [to] to talk to someone about it and to be accountable. If it gets difficult, think about how you can get support to get your plan going, ”Corey added. A useful exercise could be to think about what change you would like to see six months or a year in the future, he suggests. You may want to spend more time on a hobby or write in your journal more often.
Jude T. Austin II, Assistant Professor and Mental Health Clinical Counseling Coordinator for the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Professional Counseling Program, recommends penciling this action plan as obstacles arise that compel you to fit Redesign your plan. He loves to work out in his garage, but when it's cold outside he has to find another way.
Counselors can also incorporate their self-care plan into their current routines, notes Julius A. Austin, clinical therapist and coordinator for the Office of Substance Abuse and Restoration at Tulane University. For example, they can check into the family or listen to an audio book during their hour-long commute to the family.
Muratori, co-author of Coping Skills for a Stressful World: A Workbook for Consultants and Clients, reminds consultants that they don't need to be perfectly self-sufficient. Often times it's good enough to do her best, she says.
Get to know your stress levels
Jude Austin shares advice he received from a manager: "Make … stress [and] fear your best friend. Put them next to you and get to know them. Understand what stress does to you [and] and how it affects you. What are your triggers? How do you deal with it? Who are the people around you who are affected by this? "
Addressing these questions allows people to purposely think about how to approach self-sufficiency because they better understand their unique type of stressors, he explains.
This consideration should also extend to relationships with other people. Think carefully about who you want to be with professionally and personally, advises Jude Austin, a licensed professional counselor (LPC) and licensed marriage and family therapist at a private practice in Temple, Texas. It's okay to fire a manager or not be friends with every coworker if the relationship isn't working for you or you feel bad.
Finding ways to deal with stress can be difficult. The keynote speakers, co-authors of Counselor Self-Care, share some activities that will help them better manage their stress:
Find a type of physical activity that you enjoy doing that fits your lifestyle and do it reasonably consistently, Corey says. And it doesn't have to be time consuming, he adds. For example, you can take the stairs rather than the elevator.
Learn something new. When graduate school became overwhelming, Jude Austin began growing bonsai trees to cope with the stress of having things out of his control. He still finds that learning something new every year helps manage his stress and fuel his curiosity.
Connect with others. Julius Austin, LPC and Associate Professor at Southeastern Louisiana University, takes time to check in with family, friends, and colleagues. Even a five-minute phone call with his family gives him a feeling of warmth and calm after a stressful day.
Muratori watches a late night comedy to decompress.
Enjoy nature. Corey advises counselors to step away from their desks and spend at least 30 minutes outside in nature every day. Jude Austin finds it difficult to leave his office at times, so he brought the outdoors into the house by adding a few plants to his work area.
Find meaning and purpose in your life. Think about why you want to wake up in the morning, Corey says. He notes that spiritual engagement and service to others can often be a source of meaning for many people.
Go for advice . All speakers stressed the importance of counselors seeking their own advice throughout their lives.
Revision of the self-sufficiency plans
Every new career step brings with it new stress factors, in which consultants have to constantly adapt and revise their self-care plans.
Julius and Jude Austin, co-authors of Surviving and Thriving in Your Counseling Program, are early in their careers and have found that new professionals are often quick to say “yes” to any career opportunity because they do are making a career and gaining self-confidence. However, this behavior can lead to burnout. Therefore, they warn new specialists against taking on the tasks they have taken on in a more targeted manner.
Corey suggests that counselors say, "Let me think about it" when asked for a career opportunity. And then they really have to consider whether this opportunity is good for them at this moment.
Jude Austin also finds it difficult to balance all of his daily chores between his work and his personal life. "Your career and family sometimes grow in parallel," he says. And juggling these roles is often when he's feeling the most unbalanced.
Mid-career people often take on more work-related tasks, says Muratori. And they may need someone to hold them accountable and make sure they don't take on too much. She also suggests that it is a time when counselors may experience new family stressors, such as: B. When a child is going to college or looking after older parents.
Corey attributes two things to his long, productive consulting career: 1) He took the time to create a self-care plan that worked for him and encompassed all facets of wellbeing, including physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual health. 2) He took the time to get in touch with colleagues. "This can be a lonely job," he notes. "Don't wait for someone else … to reach out to you. … It is important that we turn to these friends and colleagues and take the initiative."
Counselors shouldn't feel guilty about taking the time to care for themselves. "Take care of yourself; listen to yourself; allow yourself to guide yourself through this [self-care process]," says Jude Austin. "If something doesn't feel right, if it's not comfortable, then reevaluate it. … self-care is flexible. It's not selfish. It's responsible. Just be nice to yourself. "
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This keynote panel kicked off a month of virtual events, including hundreds of training sessions and three additional keynotes ending April 30th.
For more information about the American Counseling Association's 2021 Virtual Conference Experience, visit Counseling.org/conference/conference-2021
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Lindsey Phillips is Counseling Today author and UX content strategist. Contact them at [email protected] or through their website at lindseynphillips.com.
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Opinions and statements in articles appearing on CT Online should not be assumed to reflect the opinions of the editors or guidelines of the American Counseling Association.
