Masterclass Topic 4: Promoting self-care in supervision
This workshop will explore some of the recent developments in our understanding of compassion, including its evolutionary adaptation and some of the neuroscience of compassion, and explore the positive role compassion and self-compassion can play in psychologists’ self-care.
Workshop goals
Working as a psychologist is a great privilege. Our clients often come to us during some of the worst times in their lives, and in a sense they are asking, “Will you help me?” We get to be there with them and for them during these difficult times, and we get to be present with, and even resonate with, some of their most significant emotional experiences.
Our ability to empathise helps our clients to feel heard and understood, and to feel safe. However, it also means that we experience certain difficult emotions ourselves. Burnout can result, and supervision plays an essential part in helping psychologists monitor, manage and work through their experience of burnout and fatigue. Recent advances in the science of compassion have revealed that, rather than this burnout being “compassion fatigue”, it might actually be better described as “empathy fatigue” with compassion being something of the antidote.
This workshop will explore some of the recent developments in our understanding of compassion, including its evolutionary adaptation and some of the neuroscience of compassion, and explore the positive role compassion and self-compassion can play in psychologists’ self-care. Compassion helps strengthen coping skills, boosts feelings of social connection, and enhances our sense of meaning and contribution, while at the same time reminds us to keep one eye on developing our own self-compassion.
Our ability to empathise helps our clients to feel heard and understood, and to feel safe. However, it also means that we experience certain difficult emotions ourselves. Burnout can result, and supervision plays an essential part in helping psychologists monitor, manage and work through their experience of burnout and fatigue. Recent advances in the science of compassion have revealed that, rather than this burnout being “compassion fatigue”, it might actually be better described as “empathy fatigue” with compassion being something of the antidote.
This workshop will explore some of the recent developments in our understanding of compassion, including its evolutionary adaptation and some of the neuroscience of compassion, and explore the positive role compassion and self-compassion can play in psychologists’ self-care. Compassion helps strengthen coping skills, boosts feelings of social connection, and enhances our sense of meaning and contribution, while at the same time reminds us to keep one eye on developing our own self-compassion.
Training techniques that will be used
- Pre-readings on the topic,
- Didactic presentation summarising the recent advances in the science of compassion,
- Small group (2-4 participants) work to generate reflection and discussion,
- Live and video demonstration,
- Experiential exercises for later use in personal practice and supervision, and
- Highly interactive with active participation and conversation encouraged.
Evaluation
There will be two forms of evaluation: a) four opportunities for personal reflection of learning and writing down key learning outcomes; and b) making a personal/professional practice commitment at the end of the workshop and providing a reflection on the experience of this within four weeks of completion of the workshop.
Learning Objectives
- The human experience of suffering,
- The role of compassion and self-compassion in alleviating suffering,
- Definitions of compassion and characteristics of a compassionate person,
- The evolutionary science and neuroscience of compassion,
- Compassion is not boundless,
- Practicing compassion for others,
- The physical and psychological benefits of compassion for others,
- Empathic concerns versus personal distress,
- Practicing self-compassion,
- The physical and psychological benefits of self-compassion,
- A Compassion Focused Therapy primer,
- A Mindful Self-Compassion primer,
- Self-compassion for managing empathy fatigue and burnout,
- The Self-Compassion Break,
- Balancing giving and receiving compassion.
Dr James N. Kirby
James N. Kirby, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor, Clinical Psychologist, Director of the Clinical Programs, and the Co-Director of the Compassionate Mind Research Group at the University of Queensland. His research focus is on the science of compassion, exploring what helps or hinders our ability to be compassionate, with a key focus on the clinical effectiveness of compassion-focused interventions for addressing self-criticism and shame.
James is an international trainer of Compassion Focused Therapy and is an accredited clinical supervisor. James is an Honorary Associate Professor of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education at Stanford University, an Honorary Member of the Compassionate Mind Foundation UK, a Fellow of the Mind & Life Institute, and a founding board member of the Global Compassion Coalition. In 2022 he authored Choose Compassion, and in 2020 he co-edited Making an Impact on Mental Health. He has a new book just published by Routledge called, The Essentials of Compassion Focused Therapy: A Practice Manual for Clinicians.
James is an international trainer of Compassion Focused Therapy and is an accredited clinical supervisor. James is an Honorary Associate Professor of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education at Stanford University, an Honorary Member of the Compassionate Mind Foundation UK, a Fellow of the Mind & Life Institute, and a founding board member of the Global Compassion Coalition. In 2022 he authored Choose Compassion, and in 2020 he co-edited Making an Impact on Mental Health. He has a new book just published by Routledge called, The Essentials of Compassion Focused Therapy: A Practice Manual for Clinicians.
Patrick Jones - Course author
Copyright © 2023