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Tag Archives: solution focused

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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Language & Comedy

19 Friday Apr 2013

Posted by Tahereh Barati, PhD in Articles, Reflection

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Tags

comedy, ego, entertainment, externalizing, fun, human relationship, imagination, language, laughter, norms, outcome, short, social, solution focused

I have been, lately, thinking of language that used in comedy. Comedians use language in a very special unique way that appeals to people. This unique language points out discrepancies that exist in our social cultural discourses in a fashion that opens up space for laughter, conversations and reflection.

I discovered that this language has certain characteristics, they are the following:

a) It is brief:  When a story or an event is shared, it is pretty short and brief. It is straight to points; you don’t need to discover different parts of an argument, it is delivered to you right away.

b) It is imaginative: It is used to make you laugh, give you a mental ticklish, and stimulate your imagination. The problems are presented in a playful manner.

c) It is solution- oriented: It is offers alternative ways of dealing with problems and make solutions to problems more accessible. Big unshakable problems appear to be trivial and easy to solve.

d) It questions everything. It doesn’t follow any particular social norm. It expresses what is unsaid or politically incorrect .

f) It is self- deprecating.  It unpacks one’s life; It doesn’t tend to protect one’s ego or oneself. It mocks himself and others without any hesitation. it invites you to become OK with vulnerability.

g) It is not outcome- oriented: It is not invested on outcome. It shares info and knowledge without insisting on any particular result. Its purpose is to pass on experiences and have fun with them.

As you see, it is a very unique language.  If this language entertains us, I wonder, why it is not practiced in our daily interactions with one another. Any ideas?

Happy Possibilities!

Tahereh Barati, M.A, RMFT

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