Compassion Fatigue and the Art of Chronic Self-Care

Working with traumatized people has a profound impact on our personal lives—our thoughts, feelings, choices, relationships, physical health and spiritual beliefs. Although our clients often give us hope and restore our belief in the resiliency of human beings, the work can challenge or disrupt our sense of well-being. Too often we react to a crisis of well-being and many months later find ourselves in the same dilemma.

This workshop will explore the highly individual ways that the work affects us as well as offering several strategies for chronic self-care. Participants are welcome to share professional and personal experiences during this time, however, the workshop may also have value for those who listen, reflect and choose not to share. Participants will:

• Develop Strategies to Incorporate Professional Self-Care into Practice
• Understand Compassion Fatigue and the Art of Chronic Self-Care
• Identify the need of personal self-care

About: Linda T. Sanford, LICSW

Linda T. (Lynn) Sanford, LICSW  began her career over 45 years ago working with victims of sexual assault. She has also worked for twenty years with youth who have been convicted of crimes against people (homicide, manslaughter, and multiple sexual assaults).  In 2013 and 2014, Sanford worked as a Military Family Life Consultant on Marine Corps Air Station at Iwakuni, Japan. She also worked with children whose parents were deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq at Ramstein Air Base in Germany and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska.

In 2009, Sanford achieved the rank of Professor of Practice.  She taught at various graduate schools of social work for 25 years.  She is the author of Strong at the Broken Places: Building Resiliency in the Lives of Survivors (1990, 2004) and The Silent Children (1980). Sanford is also co-author of Women and Self-Esteem (1984) and In Defense of Ourselves (1978).

Sanford received the Massachusetts National Association of Social Workers “Outstanding Contribution to Social Work Practice Award” and the Devereux Foundation “Legacy of Caring Award” in 2010.