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INVITED CONTRIBUTION

The Self-Care of Psychologists and Mental Health Professionals:

A Review and Practitioner Guide
Frank M Dattilio
Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

It has been documented in the professional literature that psychologists and mental health professionals in general tend to neglect their own
mental health, despite serving in a field that promotes the health and well-being of others. Numerous empirical studies support the need for
psychologists and mental health professionals to be more conscientious of the effect that stress and the nature of their work has on them. This
article reviews some of the recent literature and discusses the pertinent issues at hand. A number of interventions are suggested along with tips
for professionals to consider in order to function in a more productive and ethical fashion.
Key words: personal psychotherapy; review; self-care; stress and mental health professionals.

The Self-Care of Psychologists and Mental
Health Professionals
Airline regulations throughout the world require that all flight
attendants instruct passengers in emergency procedures in the
event of any type of crisis in the air. One of the most crucial
parts of the instruction states that in the event of cabin depres-
surisation, passengers are to place the oxygen masks on them-
selves first before assisting young children or the elderly. This
profound directive is born out of the notion that taking care of
ourselves is vital to helping others, particularly those who are in
need. This analogy is apropos to psychologists and other mental
health professionals who often neglect their own needs in their
zeal to help others.
Next to air traffic controllers, police officers, firefighters, and
professional bomb squad units, mental health professionals
have one of the most stressful professions in the world. By the
very nature of the work that we do, we repeatedly deal with
psychologically toxic situations in which we are often expected
to assist individuals who are suffering from some of the most
arduous and complex disorders found within the broad spec-
trum of mental illness. Although such work is admirable and no
doubt needed in an ever-increasing world of stress, years of
conducting such tedious work can often have profound effects
on one’s own psyche, let alone our physical health, predisposing
us to serious illness in later years.
Correspondence: Frank M Dattilio, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard
Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 1251 S. Cedar Crest
Blvd., Suite 304-D, Allentown, PA 18103, USA. Fax: 610 434 6965; email:
frankdattilio@cs.com
Portions of this article are drawn from a keynote address presented by the
author at The Seventh World Congress of Behavioral and Cognitive Thera-
pies on 7/25/13 in Lima, Peru.
Accepted for publication 27 April 2015
doi:10.1111/ap.12157
This issue has not gone without copious attention in the
professional literature. Two studies in particular have examined
stress-related symptoms in clinical psychologist trainees using
the General Health Questionnaire. In a survey of 281 subjects in
the United Kingdom, 59% reported clinically significant levels
of psychological distress and 75% reported moderate to high
stress levels as a result of clinical training (Cushway, 1992). A
more recent survey of a similar subject pool in Australia found
that 73% reported clinically significant levels of distress
(Stafford-Brown & Pakenham, 2012).
Unfortunately, mental health professionals have traditionally
underestimated the importance of lifestyle functions and
stressors that affect their work, almost to the point that it is
hypocritical to what they preach to their clients. This has been
repeatedly documented in the professional literature, which
portrays a chronic disregard for the self-care of mental health
workers (Walsh, 2011).
Additional studies conducted in the United States (Bearse,
McMinn, Seegobin, & Free, 2013) polled 260 members of the
American Psychological Association asking them about specific
stressors that affected them during the course of their work as
psychologists. The most frequent areas of stress that were
reported included burnout, countertransference, vicarious trau-
matisation, personal losses, problems with collecting fees, and
conflicts with co-workers. When members of the same sample
study were asked about their own experiences with psycho-
therapy, to no surprise, 86% reported that they received mental
health treatment at some point in their lives. However, an
alarming 59% admitted that there were times when they could
have benefited from treatment, but failed to seek it. This raises an
interesting question as to why mental health professionals, of all
people would drag their feet in getting help for themselves. One
would think that mental health professionals would be the first to
check on their own mental status because it is such an important
part of their work. This is particularly because dealing with clients
on a daily basis and the intensity of achieving professional goals,
whether it be in research or teaching heavy class loads, or
consulting, is no doubt emotionally and physically challenging.

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Mental health professionals’ self-care
Although one of the primary rewards of being a mental health
professional is the opportunity to help people or students, the
daily drain of dealing with such challenges can be emotionally
exhaustive. This is unfortunately epitomised by the plight of a
well-known psychologist who identified that his illness was the
direct result of a harrowing schedule of travel, lectures, and
clinical work. This psychologist later committed suicide. This
colleague’s death reminds us that creating a healthy division
between our work and personal life is an essential step to
survival in our profession. Contrary to what many believe,
mental health therapists do not have a bottomless reserve of
empathy, patience, or tolerance. We are human like everyone
else and perhaps even more susceptible to stressors than our
cohorts because of the very work that we do on a daily basis.
In another survey conducted on psychologists, one third of
the respondents reported that they had experienced anxiety or
depression, and more than 40% reported episodes of emo-
tional exhaustion during the previous year (Mahoney, 1997).
In a subsequent study, practicing psychologists reported expe-
riencing greater anxiety, depression, and emotional exhaustion
than did research psychologists, but also more positive influ-
ence from their work (Radeke & Mahoney, 2000). It is not
uncommon that a vast majority of mental health professionals
admit to incidences of working when too distressed to be
effective (Pope, Tabachnick, & Keith-Spiegel, 1987). In the
aforementioned study, nearly all of the individuals who were
surveyed acknowledged that they were aware of the fact that
doing so was also unethical. However, despite this awareness,
they continued to violate their ethics as though it were only a
minor quibble.
When it comes to deleterious effects, all mental health pro-
fessionals are at risk for several reasons. It is inherent that many
practitioners tend to place the needs of others prior to their own.
For some reason, this seems to be common among the type of
individuals that the field attracts in general. The aforementioned
death of a colleague is also not particularly surprising because
according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health, of more than 230 occupations, male psychologists in
particular were the most likely to commit suicide with an odds
ratio of 3.5 times greater than the general public (Ukens, 1995).
Short of actual successful suicides, suicidal ideation among psy-
chologists is prevalent with a reported 29% of those surveyed,
indicating that they had felt suicidal. Nearly 4% indicated that
they made at least one suicide attempt during their professional
life (Pope & Tabachnick, 1994). Similar results were also found
in another study conducted by Gilroy, Carroll, and Murra
(2002) in that 42% of their respondents reported experiencing
suicidal ideation or behaviour. These statistics are rather alarm-
ing when one contemplates that mental health professionals
should be in a healthy state of being if they plan to be respon-
sible for the treatment of others. What is unconscionable is that
many of the subjects in the aforementioned studies were treat-
ing depressed and suicidal clients while they themselves were
depressed and suicidal.
The reason behind much of this deterioration may have to do
with the fact that mental health professionals are also at risk for
vicarious traumatisation and compassion fatigue, not to
mention the effects of countertransference, and other stressors
that can affect mental health practitioners’ cognitive, affective,
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and behavioural responses to their clients (Burwell-Pender &
Halinski, 2008; Phillips, 2011).
Other factors placing psychologists and mental health profes-
sionals at risk for elevated stress include a sense of perceived
invincibility to mental health difficulties, personal vulnerabili-
ties, the inherent distressing aspects of clinical practice, and the
barriers to seeking assistance when clinically significant distress
is experienced (Barnett & Cooper, 2009).
One of the terms mentioned above “compassion fatigue” has
particularly gained notoriety in recent years within the pro-
fessional literature (Figley, 2002; Weiss, 2004). Compassion
fatigue is a condition that tends to compromise a mental
health professional’s ability to express or experience empathy
toward others and effectively respond to it. The emotional
reserve is usually depleted for professionals who suffer from
compassion fatigue, leaving little left for the client. If this con-
dition proliferates, it can produce debilitating effects for a
mental health professional.
Burnout on the other hand contains many of the components
of compassion fatigue along with emotional exhaustion and a
lessened sense of personal accomplishment. It may also include a
strong component of apathy for one’s work and at times even
cynicism.
So, Why Do Mental Health Professionals
Drag Their Feet about Obtaining Help
for Themselves?
Ironically, mental health professionals have many of the same
reasons for avoiding treatment as their clients. There are a
number of barriers that have been documented in the profes-
sional literature, which involve social stigma, treatment con-
cerns, fear of emotion, anticipated risks, and self-disclosure (as
cited in Bearse et al., 2013). Most mental health professionals
would prefer to avoid seeking treatment for themselves locally
because of the need to avoid embarrassment and to remain
anonymous. Hence, travelling a significant distance for therapy
may be time consuming, costly, and in some cases, inconvenient.
There is also the issue that some practitioners may not want to
hear the inevitable from a colleague, which is that they have to
make a significant change or possibly even take a leave of absence
in the event that they may be deemed impaired. This can be a
tough pill to swallow and may also involve having to explain to
colleagues and clients the reason for the change or modification
with their professional lives.
Other aspects involve time and finances. In light of these
limitations and demands, dedicating time and money to engage
in therapy can be quite adversarial and hence a reason to avoid.
As a profession, mental health practitioners tend to neglect
the importance of creating a sustainable balance between caring
for themselves and for others, despite the apparent hypocrisy
involved. In some respects, this may seem dissimulative because
providers posit their work on self-care and preservation. To take
it a step further, some purport that self-care of mental health
professionals is actually an ethical imperative as it relates to
competence (Wise & Gibson, 2012). As mentioned earlier, this
may promote a fear in seeking professional help—that they
might be reported for unethical behaviour if they fail to follow
a treating therapist’s recommendation. This is particularly so
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FM Dattilio
with those cases that involve illicit drug and alcohol addiction.
While self-care is not directly addressed in most codes of ethics
for mental health professionals, competence is, and therefore
this constitutes a critical link with the notion of self-care. The
emphasis on competence and the crucial role of continuing
professional development is increasingly recognised as the field
becomes more complex and challenging (Fouad et al., 2009;
Wise et al., 2010). Most ethical principles mandate that mental
health professionals strive to remain cognizant of the potential
effects that their work has on their own physical and mental
health as they go on to professionally treat others (Wise, Hersh,
& Gibson, 2012). Efforts have been made to insure that graduate
school trainees in the field of mental health delivery are aware
of these dynamics early during their educational process (Myers
et al., 2012; Pakenham, 2014; Pakenham & Stafford-Brown,
2012; Shapiro, Brown, & Biegel, 2007). Trainees must also be
cognizant of the various risk factors involved with their future
profession as a measure of early prevention.
In addition to burnout and compassion fatigue mentioned
above, countertransference is another factor that can debilitate
mental health professionals, particularly when practitioners
fail to recognise their own unresolved issues and avoid such
feelings. This has most prominently been displayed in
sexualised and hostile behaviours (Burwell-Pender & Halinski,
2008), but surfaces in other domains as well (Singer, Sincoff,
& Kolligian, 1989; Westra, Aviram, Connors, Kertes, & Ahmed,
2012).
What Can Mental Health Professionals Do
in Order to Reduce Stress for Themselves
and Live a Healthier Lifestyle?
First and foremost, it is important that mental health profes-
sionals follow some guidelines for stress reduction. This
involves accepting the fact that they are human and not invul-
nerable to the daily stress of their profession, regardless of
how educated and skilled they become. Denial appears to be
prevalent among many mental health professionals (Bearse
et al., 2013), and it is only through confrontation by family
members, friends, and colleagues, along with serious self-
reflection that they will own up to their human frailty. They
also need to begin to watch for early signs of distress and take
action as soon as possible. Many mental health professionals
tend to engage in denial and oftentimes refuse to face the fact
that because of the profession they work in, their likelihood of
becoming overwhelmed by stress might even be greater than
others. Therefore, identifying the early signs of stress and/or
depression and also any external stressors in their life is
extremely important. Reducing sources of distress when pos-
sible or ultimately developing effective coping skills or inocu-
lation strategies when they cannot be reduced is paramount to
maintaining sound mental health. It is also important for
mental health professionals to check out and deal with any
dysfunctional thought processes that they may have with
regard to stress in their lives and how it affects them. This is
an aspect that cognitive-behavioural therapists have promoted
as self-care strategies in their work for decades (Ludate, 2012;
Wise & Gibson, 2012; Wise, Hersh, & Gibson, 2013).
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Mental health professionals’ self-care
Self-Care Strategies for Mental
Health Professionals
There are a number of strategies that mental health profession-
als can utilise in order to reduce stress for themselves. One of
the primary interventions for self-care and healthy lifestyles
involves a principle-based model that was developed explicitly
for psychologists by Norcross and Guy (2007). This intervention
has been designated as a very flexible and comprehensive model
that involves a 12-step principle that draws from some of the
traditional philosophies of mindfulness, spirituality, and positive
psychology against the backdrop of cognitive-behavioural
therapy and physical wellness programmes.
Another approach known as “TLC,” touted by Walsh (2011),
offers a system of therapeutic lifestyle changes. This model
explicitly utilises a combination of elements involving spiritual-
ity, positive psychology, and mindfulness, in addition to specific
evidence-based recommendations for extensive exercise,
healthy eating and the promotion of physical health and well-
being. In addition, the aspect of awareness of needs is incorpo-
rated into this programme and an understanding of the negative
impact of overexposure to stressors is emphasised. This is an
extremely important component because many mental health
practitioners need to be made aware of exactly how stress
uniquely affects them.
Wise et al. (2012) also suggest four foundational principles
that can be used to integrate ongoing attitudes and practices that
support well-being and self-care for mental health professionals.
The focus here is on surviving versus flourishing (Keyes, 2002).
Flourishing is suggested over surviving because it embraces a
broader range of possibilities into one’s professional/personal
repertoire with an emphasis on building not only awareness,
but resilience and positive attitudes. The second aspect involves
intentionally choosing a self-care plan with the willingness to
change one’s attitude and practice. This concept embraces the
notion of flexibility and being able to go with the flow. This
process may also involve examining some of the rigid beliefs
that mental health professionals harbour about themselves, par-
ticularly as it relates to setting unrealistic expectations and
failing to place limits on professional activities.
The third is a concept termed reciprocity, or what is other-
wise referred to as dynamic exchange of beneficial life atti-
tudes and practices between a mental health professional and
his client. Developing a good balance between professional
and personal life is a key virtue toward survival for any
mental health professional.
Finally, mental health professionals are encouraged to use
self-care strategies that are integrated into their current reper-
toire as opposed to adding on to burden one’s busy life schedule.
This makes the notion of modification of their lives more pal-
atable and consequently more likely to be adopted than if they
are holstered with an entire new regimen of skills to acquire.
Strategies to Manage Therapist Distress
Ironically, mental health professionals have an armamentarium
of techniques for reducing stress because it is part of the toolbox
from which they operate daily in their professions. Unfortu-
nately, it sometimes seems as though there is some resistance
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and almost avoidance to using the same tools that mental health
professionals use with their clients. One would be hard-pressed
to find individuals of other professions and crafts who do not
use some of the tools of their trade for their own personal needs.
Therefore, there is no reason why mental health professionals
should not do the same thing. Actually, one of the pioneers of
cognitive-behavioural therapy, Albert Ellis (1983), encouraged
therapists decades ago to identify various irrational thoughts
and beliefs of their own in an attempt to deal with emotional
disturbance arising out of work that they do as psychotherapists.
Below are a number of evidence-based techniques that have
been found to be extremely effective for mental health thera-
pists to reduce the ongoing stress in their lives.
Cognitive-Behavioural Techniques
Cognitive-behavioural therapy has probably enjoyed one of the
most well-documented research bases in the history of psycho-
therapy. More recently, major proponents of this field have
described methods for self-healing among mental health profes-
sionals. Beck (2005) outlines a method of conducting emotional
self-scanning for mental health professionals who are working
with personality disordered clients and other challenging cases.
Beck recommends that a way of monitoring the presence of any
negative reaction to clients is for the mental health professional
to check specific thoughts and feelings that emerge, particularly
when he or she reviews the client appointment list for the day.
Any feelings of discomfort in anticipation of working with a
client may be modified by questioning the validity of those
thoughts and emotions and identifying any distortions in the
content. Beck contends that in this respect, the mental health
professional is able to develop a skill in detecting a change in
thoughts, emotion, behaviour, and even physiology by address-
ing it in this manner. It is highly advised that mental health
professionals who work with challenging cases are particularly
encouraged to do this on a regular basis. A recommended ques-
tion is: “Am I feeling any negative reaction such as anger,
irritation, hopelessness, anxiety?” This would be followed by
questioning any dysfunctional behaviours such as blaming,
demeaning, or controlling a client and predicting any antici-
pated behaviour on the part of a client in the next session.
Mental health therapists are advised to make every attempt to
intervene and reduce their level of distress.
The emphasis on monitoring cognitive distortions has been
found to lead to more balanced adaptive and functional think-
ing concerning therapeutic issues with clients whose progress is
fluctuating (Leahy, 2001). This is particularly so in the matter of
working with challenging cases such as borderline personality
disordered clients, which can be very distressful (Layden,
Newman, Freeman, & Morse, 1993). Also, the use of a daily
dysfunctional thought record has been useful with self-therapy
strategies in order to track negative thoughts when experiencing
depression and other negative emotions (Ludate, 2012). This
involves the use of cognitive rehearsal prior to sessions in which
the therapist may predict a tedious or arduous session.
Ludate (2012) notes that cognitive-behavioural therapy
experts have also stressed the importance of a therapist estab-
lishing functional belief systems that involve coping or problem-
solving strategies. This is recommended as opposed to blaming
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attitudes or scapegoating with a client. He even goes as far as
recommending that some limited self-disclosure, where the
therapist shares some of his or her feelings of frustration or
anxiety, may be therapeutic grist for the mill with both the
therapist and client. A caveat, of course, is that this should be
conducted with care and ethical consideration for all possible
consequences. This may also prove to be effective as part of the
overall treatment. Hence, cognitive-behavioural therapists
emphasise introspection as a key component of reducing the
stress during the therapeutic process for therapists and also
becoming aware of their own issues that may be contaminating
the therapeutic process.
Ludate (2012) goes on to provide a very comprehensive list of
guidelines for therapists who work with challenging cases and
use specific interventions for reducing distress.
Positive Psychology
Positive psychology became more popular in 1998 when Martin
Seligman first promoted it through his role as president of the
American Psychological Association, even though the term
originated decades earlier with Abraham Maslow’s work in the
1950s regarding motivation and personality (Maslow, 1968).
Some of the more modern research has consistently demon-
strated that a general sense of well-being can ultimately be
cultivated and sustained not only through the alteration of
internal or external life circumstances, but through the inten-
tional undertaking of life-affirming, happiness-inducting prac-
tices that strengthen positive emotionality and positive
character traits (Seligman, Steen, Park, & Peterson, 2005). This
theory posits that mental health professionals can successfully
cultivate healthy well-being by developing an understanding of
these principles and increasing evidence-based framework for
positive emotionality and a style of healthy living. Positive emo-
tions and engagement in positive thought statements is strongly
reinforced. The notion that positivity can broaden attention,
cognition, and creativity, and hence, promote better feelings and
closeness with others is a highlight of this approach. The aim is
to improve personal resources and build resilience in an attempt
to reduce stress and illness and improve relationships with
others. Proponents of positive psychology contend that this
leads to greater life satisfaction and a reduction in depressive
symptomology (Cohn & Fredrickson, 2010). By practicing opti-
mistic thinking, it is believed that an individual can improve
their quality of life and sense of well-being. In many ways, it
serves as an antidepressant and a stress resilience factor
(Seligman et al., 2005).
Mindfulness Meditation
The concept of mindfulness meditation has enjoyed tremendous
notoriety in recent years with the development of this approach
in treating mental health disorders (Kabot-Zinn, 1990; Segal,
Williams, & Teasdale, 2002). Mindfulness meditation essentially
has to do with staying in the moment and focusing on the here
and now while practicing ways to act in a non-judgmental
fashion. Engaging in mindful awareness aids an individual
in increasing gentle awareness of thoughts and emotions and
redirecting stress in a productive way. In essence, mindfulness
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meditation bolsters a healthier way to cope with life’s daily
struggles. This is another evidence-based approach that has
enjoyed firm documentation in the professional literature
(Bishop et al., 2004; Christopher & Maris, 2010).
Mindfulness meditation can also be combined with methods
of progressive muscle relaxation (Jacobson, 1938) and other
methods of breathing retraining (Siegel, 2010; Singer, 2007).
Acceptance and Commitment
Therapy (ACT)
An offshoot of mindfulness-based therapy is ACT (Hayes,
Strosahl, & Wilson, 1999). The emphasis in this particular
approach is a general acceptance and a non-attached and com-
passionate mental observation of day-to-day activity in mind
and body. There is a present focus of awareness with this
approach that has a more explicit and central focus of values-
driven behaviour. ACT serves to increase individual’s psycho-
logical flexibility by facilitating what one finds most meaningful
in life, despite the natural pain and distress that occurs on a daily
basis. Recently, the professional literature has focused on the
utility of an ACT framework for fostering self-care in mental
health trainees (Pakenham, 2014). The results of this research
has yielded a better adjustment, strength, and thought suppres-
sion, as well as values and acceptance for the subjects who
participated. ACT was found to enhance self-care in a popula-
tion of clinical psychology trainees, yielding support for the
utility of the ACT framework for explaining and enhancing
adjustment and self-care. There is research evidence that sup-
ports this application with mental health professionals (Bond &
Bunce, 2003). This is particularly so due to the fact that ACT
offers strategies for “letting go of the control agenda,” which is
a vital aspect for mental health professionals who traditionally
struggle with this issue. It is believed that mental health profes-
sionals who can intentionally function in accordance with their
life values and redirect thoughts and emotions in dealing with
psychosocial stressors, are better able to acquire flexibility in
coping and strengthening their life satisfaction. This interven-
tion has also been found to be effective with individuals who are
experiencing stress-related conditions along with depression,
anxiety, chronic pain, and other serious disorders (Hayes,
Luoma, Bond, Masuda, & Lillis, 2006).
Some Healthy Tips for Mental Health
Professionals to Follow
Make a list of personal indicators that suggest that you may
suffer from some form of distress with your profession. In the
process, mental health professionals may want to ask them-
selves the following questions:
• Have there been changes in my behaviour/attitude in the past
6 months to a year?
• Have there been any changes in my thinking style in the past
6 months or a year?
• Have there been any comments from others about their
observations of me, specifically as it relates to family
members, friends, or colleagues?
• Have you noticed any differing reactions from others who
know you well?
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Mental health professionals’ self-care
• Have there been any particular differences in my clients’
response to me as a therapist in the past 6 months or a year?
If the answer to these questions is “yes,” then you may want
to ask yourself what signs of early distress have I seen with
myself and what actions can I possibly take in order to address
them effectively. In this particular respect, we can make an
attempt to identify any external stressors with the hope of
reducing the sources of distress via effective coping skills or
making some decisions about restructuring our life activities.
Perhaps this also involves some practice management issues
that need to be revisited. For example, if you have a full-time
home office, you may want to determine if this has been a
problem for you. Many practitioners believe that there should
be a distinct difference between home and their work environ-
ments and that when one has an office in their home, it is
harder to disengage from their work. This is particularly because
patients often know where you live and in the event of an
emergency, they may simply stop by unannounced without any
compunction about your privacy.
Another issue is whether it is always prudent to have a
practice in the same vicinity where you reside. Sometimes,
being removed a town or two over from where you practice can
make a significant difference for a mental health professional.
Another issue is taking a look at day-to-day management and
time constraints. Scheduling extended lunch or dinner breaks or
walks in between client hours is highly recommended. Attend-
ing a gym or a health club may also afford professionals a time
to disengage from work. Also, meeting regularly with colleagues
in order to discuss difficult cases or just the day-to-day stressors
of the profession can be very helpful.
Choosing clients carefully can also help to reduce stress in one’s
clinical practice. It is advised to avoid taking on too many difficulty
cases that may encumber a practitioner’s work load.
As mentioned earlier, when the use of some of the aforementioned
interventions or techniques are not helpful, then perhaps considering
some psychotherapy and/or consultation with a colleague or
professional for yourself may be a good idea.
It is also important to not make self-esteem contingent on
work or work performance. This seems to be common among
many mental health professionals who dig themselves a hole
because their self-esteem and self-worth is contingent on how
more available and helpful they can be to others. It is impor-
tant to keep things in perspective and avoid engaging in think-
ing styles that will create problems for you in the long run.
This goes hand-in-hand with not personalising negative events
or challenging situations that might result in less than desir-
able consequences with clients. Always maintaining realistic
expectations and avoiding any sense of a “messiah complex” is
optimal.
It is recommended that professionals set realistic and achiev-
able goals for themselves and monitor their own progress toward
the achievement of these goals. One should also try to give credit
to themselves as much as possible for recognising small gains in
the desired direction. A healthy pat on the back once in a while
is a good thing. Utilising adaptive coping strategies for dealing
with self-defeating behaviours, particularly when working with
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difficult clients, can be useful. This, combined with the use of
humour in realising that events cannot always be taken too
seriously and have to be balanced out, is essential.
Mental health professionals are also strongly recommended to
have some type of a plan for dealing with acute distress situa-
tions when they arise. A personalised type of emotional
fire drill can often be helpful, particularly when unfortunate
circumstances arise. All of these fall under the rubrics of assum-
ing a more compassionate attitude toward oneself and giving
ourselves the same type of support and encouragement that we
give to our clients. Looking after oneself in terms of rest, diet,
and exercise, as well as avoiding taking on too many challenging
clients or clients that we just do not want to work with.
Finally, creating a variety of self-soothing or relaxing activities
is an excellent way to effectively balance one’s life. If you work
hard, you have to play hard, and if the ratio of pleasure to tasks
is not proportionate, then this can be to our detriment. Conse-
quently, mental health professionals are also urged to come up
with a list of activities that can be designated as fun or relaxing
and at the same time feasible.
It is through these coping strategies that mental health pro-
fessionals can anticipate experiencing an optimal success with
their career as helping professionals and also affording them-
selves a salubrious style of existence.
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