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Therapist self-care

I've just returned from working with some of my clients in a very traditional nursing home setting. 2 of my clients (whom I've seen weekly for the last 14 months) and a long-time friend whom I saw today are actively dying. I was very emotional in my work today. Not so much about the dying, but about the pain and suffering. And the alone-ness. I am not working with a group of therapists, I am a solo practitioner specializing in working with this population. It can feel rather isolating.

My question for discussion....
How do we let that in, not shut down and still be of service? How do we care for ourselves, while caring for others?

Thanks,
Theresa May, NCTMB

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Carl W. Brown on July 7, 2010 at 12:28pm

Being an intuitive healer I found that I have to protect myself from taking on another’s problems. When I feel pain in another person I have to feel it in them. I do a lot of hospice work where I feel what I person needs but have to know that taking on another’s issues does not help them and hurts me. I think that being so sensitive has helped me learn the proper perspective.

Like deep healing where you can get people to help themselves to achieve a better state of health you have to strive for and be able to visualize the positive. Yes that may have serious problem or are facing death but you need to focus on how you are helping a person do better in a bad situation. It is about life not death.

Permalink Reply by Truc Dinh on December 29, 2010 at 10:44pm

Just let nature take it course, let your emotion run and using them as your source of energy. Give them courage, support, love and

and when they gone do not think about what they had suffer but think about they go to a better place.