Task-Oriented Self-Care: An Innovative Approach to Wellness for Counselors

Using structural equation modeling to examine counselor interpersonal stress theory

“…Outside of sessions, counselors made changes to their schedule, engaged in professional development and knowledge of new research, sought personal counseling, engaged with their support systems, and practiced grounding techniques (Moore et al., 2020). Our results show that identifying preventive resources that can be used in times of stress in counseling reduces counselor impairment (see Plath & Fickling [2020] for other prevention‐based self‐care ideas).…”

“…Additionally, the term self‐care has become a mental health “buzzword” in the public and professional lexicon, and many professional counseling bodies highlight the critical role that self‐care plays in effective counseling work (e.g., ACA, 2014; ASCA, 2022). However, self‐care is often an elusive concept in counseling, with limited research existing on direct application of prevention‐based and intervention‐based self‐care strategies (Plath & Fickling, 2020). Our results show that counselors’ abilities to identify, access, and implement preventive resources may mitigate stressful situations, ultimately reducing counselor interpersonal stress and counselor burnout.…”

“…Moreover, Plath and Fickling (2020) noted that supervision is an intervention‐based self‐care strategy, where recognizing the need for supervision in times of stress is a critical step toward caring for the self (Thompson et al., 2011). In relation to our study, seeking supervision and consultation may be an identified preventive resource in the areas of social resourcefulness, scanning, and maintaining perspective.…”

Compassion practice as an antidote for compassion fatigue in the era of COVID‐19

“…Self‐monitoring and self‐care, defined as actions or experiences that maintain counselor well‐being (Bradley et al., 2013 ), are considered essential responsibilities of counselors to reduce the likelihood of compassion fatigue (ACA, 2014 ; Rokach & Boulazreg, 2020 ; Skovholt & Trotter‐Mathison, 2016 ). Considerable scholarship exists on the topic of counselor self‐care (Plath & Fickling, 2020 ). Despite this, a gap exists between knowledge and action, as evidenced by the high levels of compassion fatigue in counselors even prior to COVID‐19 (Thomas & Morris, 2017 ).…”

“…Despite this, a gap exists between knowledge and action, as evidenced by the high levels of compassion fatigue in counselors even prior to COVID‐19 (Thomas & Morris, 2017 ). Some suggest this may be due to a lack of specific, theoretically grounded recommendations on how to engage in self‐care and a lack of strategies that can be integrated into busy schedules (Birtwell et al., 2019 ; Plath & Fickling, 2020 ). Additional tools to mitigate the potential detrimental impact of counseling work are needed.…”