The Helpers Circle
Unfortunately for many mental health professionals, burnout and fatigue have become conditions they have learned to push through. They quickly scarf down lunches in between clients, feel overwhelmed by paperwork, and experience guilt about taking a day off. Not only can this impact their ability to provide counsel and support for their clients, but it can also hinder their ability to be present in their personal lives/relationships.
In my pastoral counseling graduate program, my advisor constantly emphasized that good self-care is good ethics. Our careers as mental health professionals is unique in that our work performance is heavily determined by our own deep inner work. The COVID-19 pandemic further highlighted the importance of self-care and self-preservation, and finally pushed me to launch The Helpers Circle.
The Helpers Circle seeks to be a community for Christian women in the mental health field that will encourage wellness, wholeness, and growth in their work and personal lives.
Why a focus on faith? We understand self-care to exist in many forms- physical, psychological, emotional, professional, personal, and spiritual. And for women in this field, our roles as helpers not only applies to our work but our lives at home.
Our example of rest, sabbath, selah comes from God. After creating the heavens and the earth, God rested on the seventh day. Thus setting a precedent that His creation should also rest after laboring. No one can pour from an empty cup, especially mental health professionals with the call to support people in their healing.
After a hiatus, we are excited about relaunching this monthly group supervision for licensed/pre-licensed therapists, counselors, and graduate level clinical interns. Together we'll provide support, resources, and understanding to one another as we tackle clinical questions and challenges. We'll also have time to get to know one another through icebreakers and networking. Here is what we hope and aim for you to gain:
An opportunity to meet & greet with other licensed mental health professionals
Insight and exploration of clinical questions in a group setting
Shared resources both from The Helpers Circles and other attendees
Empathy and understanding in your experience as a Christian woman- serving not only as a helper in personal life, but in your work as well.
An opportunity to gain and give support through networking
A resource guide following our supervisions providing an overview of what was explored and what tools and tips were shared