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Compassion Fatigue in the
Caretaking Community
Presented by:
Lauren Glickman
Principal Consultant of FORAY Consulting & Associates
April 30, 2013
Introductions
Joy and Pain
Locus of Control
• External – you attribute the state of your
life to the actions of powerful others, or to
chance or luck (life happens to you and you
have no control over how it affects you)
• Internal – you attribute the state of your life
to your own actions, decisions and
behaviors (You can control your reactions
to life which influences life)
I Believe
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You can influence yourself
You co-create every interaction
Your buttons are yours and yours alone
Your choices are responsible for your current state
Your family of origin and early experiences affect
your current perspective
• You often project onto others your greatest criticisms
about yourself
Compassion Fatigue
• Also known as:
 Secondary traumatic stress disorder, vicarious
traumatization, empathic strain and secondary trauma
• A holistic way of thinking about it:
 Trauma Stewardship – “refers to the entire conversation
about how we come to do this work, how we are affected
by it, and how we make sense of and learn from our
experiences.” - Laura van Dernoot Lipsky
Compassion Satisfaction
• Compassion satisfaction refers to
 the pleasure you derive from being able to do your
work well.
 positive feelings about your colleagues and their
efforts
 your ability to contribute to the work setting or
even the greater good of society.
 your feelings about your ability to be an effective
caregiver.
Levels of Trauma Stewardship
Individual
• The most profound influence on our ability to cope
• Think about –
 Your own history of hardship.
 The resources available to you in the past.
 What led you to this work? Consider your journey to the
seat you're in now.
 Do you identify with the trauma you see? Is this personal?
Levels of Trauma Stewardship
Organizational
• Make better
• Make worse
Societal
• Systemic isolation
High-Risk Factors
Exposure to:
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Limited financial resources—organization and client
Administrative policies
Poverty distress
The constant stream of demands
Uncertainty/Ambiguity
Volumes of distressed people in a short amount of time
Conflict within the workplace
Conflict in personal life
Distressed and dysfunctional students
Stressed-out peers
Attrition
Constant change
Physical danger
Symptoms
Experiencing:
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Increased negative arousal (irritability, frustration, upset)
Preoccupation/intrusive thoughts
Social isolation/withdrawal
Sleeping/eating patterns disrupted – nightmares/intrusive images
Self-medicating – alcohol, sugar, nicotine, television, food, caffeine
Pessimism/despair/loss of hope
Depression
Increased anxiety
Diminished capacity and/or desire for intimacy
Difficulty separating work and personal life
Dread (of working with certain people)
Diminished sense of purpose/enjoyment of career
Your Nervous System
• Sympathetic nervous system
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Reactive
Fight, flight or freeze
Less articulate
High negative arousal
• Parasympathetic nervous system
 Receptive
 Calm, creative, and chill
 More articulate
Stress-Related Hormones
Increased susceptibility to
illness and disease
Complaining
Triangulation
Being a Non-Anxious Presence
You influencing you
• Have thoughts on purpose
• Unclenching
• Engage cyclical breathing
• Recognize your stress cue
• Be careful about sharing anxiety
Let’s Talk
Note to self
Closing the Day
• Share impressions
 One or two concepts from today that were
particularly resonant
 A commitment/declaration about your intention
 A request for support
 An acknowledgment
 Something else?
Thank you for making a
difference in the lives of others!
Lauren Glickman
206-696-0850
[email protected]