In his book on Clergy Burnout, Rev. Fred Lehr sums up the unspoken mantra of the helping professions: “Be the selfless martyr. Bear everyone else’s pains. Make everything right.” Of course you could always do more. But can you? Self-care isn’t about being selfish or self-indulgent. Nor is it just one more item to add …
How Can I Focus on Self-Care When There’s Endless Need? Read More »
Most of my clients use drugs because they’re self-medicating symptoms of anxiety, depression, trauma, or other emotional or environmental challenges. They don’t understand the negative consequences, or they’ve decided the benefits outweigh the risks. If we’re going to ask teens to stop using drugs, we need to understand the perceived benefits as well as the …
“My ability to care for people has suffered. […] Many of us feel like we’re becoming worse at our jobs.” nurse dealing with hospital staffing shortages during COVID-19 (source: NPR.org) I doubt there’s a single person working in the helping professions who hasn’t heard that it’s important to practice self-care. Yes, self-care is important. But …
“Dr. Tudbelly eyed the distraught Lionel. ‘What are your symptoms? Do you feel baffled? Bewildered? Confused? A little edgy? Frightened? Puzzled?’ ‘Yes, yes!’ cried Lionel. ‘All of that!’ ‘Good,’ said Dr. Tudbelly. ‘You’re quite normal.’ ‘But what shall I do?’ ‘Why, the same as any sensible person in the circumstances. Keep going. Hope for the …
5 Ways to Practice Self-Care When You’re Exhausted and Overwhelmed Read More »
This year, in addition to the usual back-to-school jitters, teens are getting hit from all sides during the pandemic: They may be hearing alarming misinformation about COVID, or have legitimate concerns about a highly contagious illness; They may be pawns in the competing agendas of parents, teachers, school administrators and government leaders about mask-wearing, vaccinations, …
6 Tips for Helping Teens Deal with Back-to-School Stress and Anxiety Read More »
There’s so much being published about mindfulness these days that it can be overwhelming trying to sort through all the different options. Of the dozens of books I’ve read over the past few years, here are four that I think are particularly useful for the helping professions. How to Train a Wild Elephant, & Other …
One day in a Roots of Empathy program, a young mother brought her six-month-old baby to the class and asked if anyone wanted to hold him. The first kid to volunteer was Darren, a tough-looking fifteen-year-old who had a shaved head covered with a large tattoo. Darren had been in foster care for more than …
3 Ways Compassion Can Help Youth Impacted by Trauma Read More »
Here are four books I’ve found particularly helpful in understanding the challenges of today’s youth and how adults can effectively support them. 1) What Works with Teens: A Professional’s Guide to Engaging Authentically with Adolescents to Achieve Lasting Change by Britt Rathbone, MSSW LCSW-C and Julie Baron, MSW LCSW-C Rathbone and Baron start with an overview …
We’ve all seen the photos of spring breakers gathering at crowded parties, in defiance of social distancing recommendations. Those types of images might make it seem that all youth are blithely unaware of the impacts of COVID, but that’s far from the truth. In fact, the pandemic has had a much bigger impact on youth …
3 Ways to Help Youth with the Emotional Impact of the Pandemic Read More »
Dr. Sam Himelstein recently described ‘4 Different Approaches to Leading Groups of Youth’: Presenter: includes lecturing and direct instruction Facilitator: includes guiding discussions and eliciting contributions from the group Supporter: includes empathizing with and encouraging students Confronter: includes intervening to stop disruptive or dangerous behavior. We each tend to have a preferred role, and it’s …
3 Ways to Make Sure You’re in the Appropriate Teaching Role Read More »
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