Compassion Fatigue:
Preventing and Healing the Stress and Grief
of Animal Care Work
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LENGTH: |
one to two days |
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DATES OFFERED: |
This workshop was designed and facilitated by Teresa for shelters and conferences throughout the US from approximately 1994 through 2004. Though currently not available, please visit the Compassion Fatigue section of this site for over thirty pages of material from this workshop. |
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COST: |
not currently scheduled |
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REGISTER: |
not currently scheduled |
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WHO SHOULD ATTEND: |
People who work in animal shelters, wildlife rehab, animal control, rescue or advocacy organizations. |
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED BOOK:
Compassion Fatigue in the animal-Care Community, Charles Rigley and Robert Roop
CONTENT AND PURPOSE:
Companion animal overpopulation, abuse and abandonment is a tragedy not only for the animals. It also impacts the people who work to help them in shelters, rescue and advocacy organizations. From research in the post traumatic stress field we've learned that people who are in direct contact with trauma victims are at high risk of experiencing secondary traumatic stress, commonly called compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue is the unique form of stress experienced only by people helping or treating trauma victims. It is different from ordinary stress and burnout in that its cause is always related to caring and exposure to others' crisis.
It takes a strong hero to endure the on-going exposure to the stress and pain of abandoned, unwanted animals, and to continually face the perpetrators of animal abuse and neglect. And strong heroes need support. They need comfort, nurturing and rejuvenation to continue their work and to lead healthy lives. To heal compassion fatigue, we must learn how to give ourselves the same mercy and compassion we give the animals. We must learn to practice not only short term coping techniques, but long term healing strategies as well. We cannot serve the animals we love so dearly if we are chronically fatigued, stressed and burned out. Caring for ourselves is just as important as caring for the animals.
At this workshop, you will have an opportunity to:
- Explore the meaning, purpose and rewards of your role
- Share experiences with others who work at shelters and do rescue work, knowing you are not alone
- Understand the scope and symptoms of compassion fatigue and complete a self assessment instrument
- Explore various techniques of coping and healing to build resiliency, learning to:
- Express and heal emotional pain without the extremes of dissociating (blocking feelings) or suffering (overwhelmed by feelings)
- Constructively manage anger and release guilt
- Enjoy relaxation exercises for the mind, body and heart
- Consciously build, strengthen and benefit from support systems
- Use gallows humor constructively
- Understand, set and honor boundaries for ourselves and others