Therapist’s Perceptions of Self-Care

Abstract

Mental health professionals experience tremendous work-related stressors due to the emotionally demanding nature of the role they play in their client’s lives. The goal of this research was to identify relationships between a therapist’s level of engagement in self-care activities, and compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress. Forty-six mental health therapists were surveyed on their reported engagement in self-care activities and their overall professional quality of life. Relationships were found regarding an increase in selfcare and a decrease in the level of burnout and secondary traumatic stress a therapist reported, as well as a positive relationship between higher levels of self-care and an increase in compassion satisfaction.