Awareness and Self-Care

As an initial step, it is our responsibility as professionals not only to broaden our understanding of the impact that burnout and compassion fatigue have on one’s ability to perform ethically and effectively but to moni- tor our own health for signs of impairment. Norcross reported on surveys of program directors and psychologists in which “self-awareness/ self-monitoring” was identified as the top-ranked contributor to optimal functioning among psychologists. Such monitoring is not simply a “good” idea but is truly an ethical mandate.

A useful tool for the monitoring of both burnout and compassion fatigue is the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL). The scale has been included in the section below, identified as “Coop- erative Exercise.” It is provided as both a reference tool that can be used throughout your career and an exercise in which you are invited to take a snapshot of your current state of well-being. Whether one is a student or engaged in a career, monitoring oneself for signs of impairment is an ethical responsibility. The ACA, for example, directs both students and supervisees to do the following:

Monitor themselves for signs of impairment from their own physical, mental, or emotional problems and refrain from offering or providing professional services when such impairment is likely to harm a client or others. They notify their faculty and/or supervisors and seek assis- tance for problems that reach the level of professional impairment, and, if necessary, they limit, suspend, or terminate their professional responsibilities until it is determined that they may safely resume their work.