Reading: Understanding the Sources of Burnout

    BOUNDARY ISSUES THAT ARE PART OF THE THERAPEUTIC RELATIONSHIP

• Role boundaries

• Time boundaries

• Place and space boundaries

• Money boundaries

•   Gifts and services boundaries 

•   Clothing boundaries

•   Language boundaries

•   Physical boundaries

    COUNTERTRANSFERENCE ISSUES THAT ARE PART OF THE THERAPEUTIC RELATIONSHIP

• Occur when the clinician attaches or displaces feelings, attitudes, or impulses experienced with respect to previous persons in their life onto the client, to whom the feelings do not realistically apply.

• Triggered by some real aspect of the client or the relationship.

• Unresolved from clinician’s past relationships.

• Sudden eruption of strong emotions that seem inappropriate in timing or intensity given the

  context in which the feelings occur.

  
  

  COMPASSION FATIGUE ISSUES THAT ARE PART OF THE THERAPEUTIC RELATIONSHIP
  

• The psychological and emotional state in which the caregiver feels depleted, numb, and exhausted; unlike normal fatigue, which is alleviated by rest, this state can become chronic.

• There is no energy to relate to friends and family and the clinician finds it difficult to be emotional available to others.

• Other signs are cynicism, anger, hostility, and irritability—all unconscious protective shields to guard against being overwhelmed.

  
  

  VICARIOUS TRAUMATIZATION ISSUES THAT ARE PART OF THE THERAPEUTIC RELATIONSHIP

• A transformation of the helper’s inner experience, resulting from empathic engagement with clients’ traumatic material.

• It is the stress that comes from helping (or wanting to help) a traumatized person.

• It affects our sense of safety, trust, intimacy, competence, and belief systems.