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Graduate Psychology Programs

Self-Care Resources

Help for the Helper

Therapist burnout is a pressing issue, and self-care is possible only when therapists actively help themselves. The authors examine the literature from neurobiology, social psychology, and folk psychology in order to explain how therapists suffer from an excess of empathy for their clients, and then they present strategies for dealing with burnout and stress.

Self-Help for Trauma Therapists

For those offering trauma-informed care, it can be difficult to maintain wellbeing and a balanced, positive outlook when the nature of their job requires frequent engagement with traumatic disclosures. Self-help for Trauma Therapists: A Practitioner's Guide intends to assist human service workers- such as those working as therapists, social workers and counsellors- to maintain their self- care and professional effectiveness when working in fields where stress and trauma play a key factor in their everyday working lives. Adopting a comprehensive, multi-layered approach to self-care based, the book grounds its exploration of practice through researched accounts with experience professionals. Including accounts from clinical psychologists, therapists, counsellors, social workers and the friends and family of people in these professions, this book creates a narrative on stress and trauma from the human service worker perspective. Interwoven with these stories of practice, the author includes reflections on her own experiences in practice over the past 25 years with trauma survivors. With discussions on risk and resilience, compassion fatigue and vicarious traumatisation, readers are introduced to the theories and practical applications of developing a professional model for maintaining wellbeing and self-care in their work. Self-help for Trauma Therapists: A Practitioner's Guideis the first book of its kind to be written solely for human service workers. It is essential reading for beginning and more advanced practitioners who are involved in working with trauma and recovery and will also be of interest to supporters of those working in the helping professions.

Mindfulness and Yoga for Self-Regulation

The first book to present mindfulness and yoga-based treatment for dysregulated, consumption-oriented disorders Mindfulness and yoga-based approaches as beneficial supplements to traditional mental health paradigms are well supported by empirical research. Although numerous texts have examined these approaches for treatment of depression, anxiety, and eating disorders, this is the first to address mindfulness and yoga-based approaches as embodied tools for reducing dysregulation associated with self-destructive and consumption-oriented behaviors. Introducing the basic theoretical foundations, key practices, and comprehensive protocols of mindfulness and yoga-based approaches for the treatment of externally oriented behaviors, the text is targeted at mental health professionals who wish to learn how to incorporate these techniques into their practice. The book explores the societal influences that lead to the externally oriented, idealized, and ultimately self-defeating concept of the individual. It provides the structure and practical applications for clinicians to help their clients overcome struggles with externally oriented behaviors and discover an internal sense of satisfaction and peace of mind. Tapping into the concept of a "hungry self" within the context of consumerism, the book advocates mindfulness and yoga approaches as alternate pathways toward a contented, regulated, and authentic experience of self. It addresses various aspects of the consumptive self and defines related syndromes such as disordered eating, compulsive shopping, substance use, and gambling. Creating a context for using alternative and complementary approaches, the book describes the challenges of traditional therapies. It then covers the conceptual aspects of mindfulness and yoga and describes specific protocols that facilitate behaviors associated with a healthy experience of the self for a variety of disorders. Key Features: Describes mindfulness and yoga approaches as an effective treatment for a range of consumption and self-regulation issues--the first book of its kind Explains how to integrate mindfulness and yoga with traditional mental health paradigms for maximum benefits Designed for clinicians with minimal background in yoga or mindfulness Combines a conceptual overview of embodied self-regulation with practical techniques Reviews treatment protocols informed by mindfulness and yoga practices covering their evidence base and contraindications for use

The resilient mental health practice : nourishing your business, your clients, and yourself

Independent practice and consultation services as a solo practitioner / Richard W. Sears -- Establishing, maintaining, and growing a group private practice / Ted Ossege and Jennifer M. Ossege -- Creating and sustaining an assessment/forensic-based practice / Steve Sparks -- Therapist as manager : supervising non-clinical staff and tasks / Jennifer M. Ossege and Ted Ossege -- Navigating the digital landscape : a practitioner's guide to moving through the rough terrain of the internet and social media / Jami Wilder and Heather Wilder -- Integration of clinical healthcare strategies : preparing clinicians for shifting roles / Kristy Fritz-Bosse and Jennifer M. Ossege -- Isolation, disconnection, and burnout : the importance of staying connected in private practice / Joy McGhee -- Work-life demands : practical tips for finding the balance / Emily Sander -- 25 strategies for engaging in self care / Laura Hensley and Andrea Schultz-Duncan.

The Resilient Practitioner

The Resilient Practitioner, 3rd edition, gives students and practitioners the tools they need to create their own personal balance between caring for themselves and caring for others. This new edition includes a new chapter on resiliency, an updated self-care action plan, self-reflection exercises in each chapter, and a revised resiliency inventory for practitioners. Readers will find, however, that the new edition keeps its strong focus on research and accessible writing style. The new edition also retains its focus on establishing working alliances and charting a hopeful path for practitioners, a path that allows them to work intensely with human suffering and also have a vibrant career in the process.

The Therapist's Workbook

Mental health professionals spend their days helping others, but who is there to help them when stress and burnout threaten their own well-being? Filled with self-assessments, journaling exercises, and activities designed to facilitate renewal, growth, and change, this timely book helps clinicians help themselves with coverage of career threatening issues, such as fear of failure, loss of confidence, and the financial stress and loss of autonomy that many clinician's experience as a result of managed care and its constraints.