From Burnout to Empowered Practice: A Compassion Fatigue Workshop for Helping Professionals
(Eligible for Skillsfuture Credit)

                 

Course Date:  Refer to Calendar page.

Normal Fee: $380. Funding details available at the Funding page.


​Course Overview

“The expectation that we can be immersed in suffering and loss daily and not be touched by it is as unrealistic as expecting to be able to walk through water without getting wet.”  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Naomi Rachel Remen
                                                                                                                                                                                                Clinical Prof (Family & Community Medicine)
                                                                                                                                                                             University of California San Francisco School of Medicine


If our helping skills are like the paints on an artist’s palette, the state of our being as helping professionals is like the condition of the artist’s brush – both are crucial elements in producing quality work. 

Accumulating research has shed much-needed light on the ‘costs of caring’ among helping professionals. Findings have highlighted the risk of Compassion Fatigue, Burnout and Secondary Traumatic Stress among helping professionals and their adverse consequences on the well-being of professionals, job satisfaction, professional efficacy, staff absenteeism and turnover rates as well as service outcomes. Unfortunately, these phenomena often go undetected or are misinterpreted, even by the people who experience them.

This full-day immersive workshop was designed for all professionals who take care of others for a living including social workers, psychologists, counselors, therapists, doctors, nurses, residential home staff, youth workers, child protection officers, teachers and more.

Regardless of your level of experience in the field, this experiential workshop is a well-deserved opportunity to pause, refuel your mind and your body, and deepen your passion for this important work so that you can continue to contribute from a place of abundance. What you experience and take home from this workshop will not only benefit you, but will also become your gift to your clients, patients, students, colleagues, and loved ones.

About the Workshop Facilitator
Desiree graduated from the National University of Singapore with a Bachelor of Social Science (Hon) degree in Psychology and a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology. She is a member of the Singapore Psychological Society.
 
Her journey as a healthcare professional began in 2010 as a psychologist in the Institute of Mental Health's Child Guidance Clinic. Since then, she has accumulated years of experience in providing individual psychotherapy, conducting psychological assessments and facilitating support groups. Desiree feels humbled to have journeyed with individuals and families in the depths of life's challenging transitions. She held the position as its Senior Clinical Psychologist before leaving for private practice.
 
Desiree has worked with children, youth and adults from diverse backgrounds with a broad range of difficulties including post-traumatic stress, depression, self-harm behaviours, grief, anxiety, anger-management problems and relationship difficulties. Besides her work with youth and families, Desiree has also provided training to partner agencies, supervised clinical psychologists in training and been involved with clinical research.
 
Desiree's work is guided by a holistic and client-centred approach that honours the biological, psychological, social and spiritual aspects of each individual's unique life story. Her practice draws influences from a wide range of therapies including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP), Jungian Sandplay Therapy and Child-centred Play Therapy. She is committed to a life-long learning process and continually seeks out opportunities to evolve her skills.
 
Outside of her clinical work, Desiree is a registered meditation and yoga teacher and finds joy in facilitating regular Women’s Circles for the general public as well as volunteering as a yoga teacher for youth-at-risk.

Target Audience
  • Social Workers, Counsellors and Psychologists working in VWOs
  • Medical Social Workers working in hospitals and medical institutions
  • School Personnel, such as Principals and Vice-Principals, HOD Pupil Welfare, HOD Discipline and School Counsellors
  • Psychologists and Counsellors in private practice.

Duration
1 day (9 am - 5 pm).

Workshop Topics:

Part A: Understanding Compassion Fatigue, Burnout and Secondary Traumatic Stress
  • Definitions and latest research findings
  • How to recognize the subtle signs in yourself and others
  • Learn how to administer, score and interpret a standardized assessment tool
  • Understanding personal and organizational factors that affect risk of burnout
  • Effects and implications on your practice and personal well-being
 
Part B: Going Deeper – Critical Tools for the Resilient Helping Professional
  • Learn and practice practical skills that allow you to stay centered, empowered and compassionate on a daily basis even in the midst of chaos
  • Create your own personal burnout prevention plan
  • Explore strategies to create a workplace environment that buffers against compassion fatigue
  • Rekindle and deepen your passion for the helping profession through evocative experiential activities
  • Connect meaningfully with other professionals about the real challenges and rewards of the helping profession in an authentic, safely-held space
 
Part C: Mindful Movement Practice
     End the day with a rejuvenating guided mindful movement practice based on a theme tailored for helping professionals
 

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Click here for funding details. Terms and Conditions apply.