Dear Mental Health Practitioners, Take Care of Yourselves: a Literature Review on Self-Care (2020)

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International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling (2020) 42:1 – 20

affect, flourishing, self-rated academic, and clinical performance (Zahniser et al. 2017), compassion satisfaction (Butler et al. 2017), and quality of life (Goncher et al. 2013). Overall, engagement in career-sustaining behaviours is linked to a greater sense of personal accom plishment and a lesser tendency to depersonalize clients (Rupert and Kent 2007). In fact, experienced mental health practitioners, or those who might be called B master therapists ^ , refer to self-care as a key aspect of professional functioning. Jennings and Skovholt (1999) report that such master therapists prioritize self-care in their profession and take B preventative action to protect what they consider [to be] their most important therapeutic tool: themselves (p.7) ^ . Further, Dorociak et al. (2017b) found that more experienced practitioners engage in more self care behaviours and report less stress than practitioners who are early in their career. Self-care refers to the B ability to refill and refuel oneself in healthy ways ^ (Gentry 2002, p. 48), including B engagement in behaviours that maintain and promote physical and emotional well being ^ (Myers et al. 2012, p. 56) and that B lessen the amount of stress, anxiety, or emotional reaction experienced when working with clients ^ (Williams et al. 2010, p. 322). The term self care refers not only to an engagement in various practices but also to having a caring attitude or ‘ being ’ caring toward oneself (Kissil and Niño 2017). Self-care involves self-reflection and action in terms of knowing one ’ s needs and making a conscious effort to seek out resources that will foster health and well-being (Colman et al. 2016; Pakenham 2017). Self-care is not a luxury but is a clinical and ethical imperative in the mental health professions (Norcross and Guy 2007) and so it is important to understand the potential effectiveness of various forms of self-care practices. What Is Self-Care?

What Works?

Mental health practitioners often use a variety of self-care practices that address areas of awareness, balance, flexibility, physical health, social support, or spirituality.

Awareness

First, awareness involves having knowledge about what it means to be a mental health professional, including an understanding of the risks for and symptoms of burnout and professional impairment (Smith and Moss 2009; Wityk 2003). Practitioners also have to hold realistic expectations about the nature of the work they do and an understanding of how to assess the effectiveness of such work (Skovholt et al. 2001; Thériault et al. 2015). Barnett et al. (2007) encourage mental health professionals to view themselves as being vulnerable to the personal and professional stressors of their career, as it is only with this awareness that preventative measures are likely to be taken. When practitioners are aware of work stressors such as isolation (Barnett and Cooper 2009), they can make a conscious effort to behave in ways that overcome or avoid such stressors, such as by planning and participating in regular case consultations with colleagues. Second, awareness refers to noticing and reflecting on one ’ s internal and external experi ences, and monitoring one ’ s own needs (Skovholt et al. 2001; Wityk 2003). This awareness of