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Tag Archives: social constructionist ideas

Why Check-ins?

11 Tuesday Feb 2014

Posted by Tahereh Barati, PhD in Articles, Reflection

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Check ins, collaboration, connection, conversation, cooperation, emotional connection, Emotional Intersection, equality, Human connection, Human relations, human relationships, Practice of bridging, social constructionist ideas, Transparency

Lately I have been thinking of what makes a conversation easier between two people.  I came to realize that if people don’t meet each other in a shared emotional intersection, they might not be able to be present to one another. What makes two people present to each other is crucial in conversation. People need to be in a same/similar/familiar emotional space to be able to talk to one another in a more effective and understanding way.

Practice of ‘Check- In’ would bring people together to experience emotional connection. It would invite people to join in a shared emotional space.  Practice of ‘Check- In’ is a practice of self-disclosure; it is a practice that allows the other person to get to know one’s emotional space; it is an invitation to inform others about one’s state of mind and emotions. People become more in tune with each other’s particular emotional mental and relational states.  People experience connecting with one another in a more leveled equal and transparent way.

Practice of ‘Check- In’ also provides an opportunity to join in having dialogues to address much broader issues such as organizational social and political matters. This practice would allow people to defuse visible and invisible conflicts and become more aware of each other’s vulnerabilities.

  • Have you tried the practice ‘Check-in’ in your conversations with your friends, family members or employees?
  • What questions do you ask when you do Check-in?

Happy Conversations!

Tahereh Barati, M.A, RMFT

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Why Compassionate Fatigue?

25 Thursday Apr 2013

Posted by Tahereh Barati, PhD in Articles, Reflection

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Burnout, Compassionate Fatigue, emotions, Injustices, Narative, problem saturated stories, professional identity, psychotherapy, reflective, resiliency, social constructionist ideas, solution focused, supervision, Suppression, therapy

I went to a workshop titled Compassionate Fatigue a while ago. It was interesting to see how the presenter described and explained the presence of Compassionate Fatigue in life of professionals; particularly, mental health practitioners. It was also interesting to hear solutions she offered to this matter.  When I left the workshop I felt happy that organizations are addressing this phenomenon and felt unhappy that suggested solutions sounded very individualistic. Unfortunately, social cultural relational factors that contribute in formation of compassionate fatigue were somewhat left out at this workshop.

As you may have discovered, I view things with the social constructionist lens. This issue is like others is socially constructed and can be reconstructed if we change our traditions of practice and our tradition of relating to one another at workplace.

To me, the experience of compassionate fatigue is linked to a few issues, they are the following:

a) What we listen to:  We, professionals, have been taught to listen to ‘problem stories’ for centuries. Traditional approaches in psychotherapy reinforce this way of listening. Listening to problem stories have exhausted professionals’ resources and contributed to the experience of compassionate fatigue. The post- modern approaches invite professionals to become more aware of what they listen to; it is suggested that we listen to ‘stories of resiliency’ as well as ‘problem stories’, it encourages us to practice ‘double listening’. This shift has helped professionals feel energetic and less fatigue in their professional work.

b) Supervision: Supervision is a place when sharing and brainstorming ideas take place; when one’s professional identity is formed. Lack of supervision at workplace has led many professionals to experience isolation and, therefore, compassionate fatigue.  Many employers, also, have imposed the role of supervision on managers without supporting and providing adequate trainings. Therefore, managers have been at risk of experiencing compassionate fatigue and burnout.  Lack or unfit supervision at workplace have put the lives of many at risk.

c) Competition: Culture of competition at workplace is seen as another source of compassionate fatigue. What makes relationships vulnerable is the presence of competition and the absence of empathy and collaboration. Competition makes the establishment of empathic and supportive environment difficult. Shifting from competition to cooperation requires openness, adaptation and support from everyone at workplace.

d) Suppression of emotions: Professionals are taught not to share their emotions with one another. This learning takes energy and leads to experience of burnout and compassionate fatigue. We need to relearn what we have been taught in the school of psychotherapy. We need to become OK with our emotions and expressing them in a way that enhances our relationships and that increase our self-knowledge. Safety is a key in expressing emotions. Lack of safe environment at workplace has escalated the presence of compassionate fatigue for many professionals.

e) Miscarriage of justices: Many problems that professionals experience at workplace either don’t get expressed or when they are expressed, they get dismissed or suppressed by others.  Not getting sufficient support from employers, colleagues and system that we work for has significantly contributed to the experience of compassionate fatigue.

To reduce compassionate fatigue in our life, we need to change our attitudes in a way that opens up space for new ideas and that allow new approaches to co-mingle. We need to become more reflective, mindful and creative when offering support to one another and learn to ask for support when is needed.

Anything else do you think contribute to the formation and maintenance of compassionate fatigue in your life? Please share.

Happy Possibilities,

Tahereh Barati, M.A, RMFT

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