| There is a new phrase emerging in the | | | | On reflection I had the following insights: |
| psychotherapy community. It's "Compassion | | | | 1. I had to find a way out of this negative energy |
| Fatigue". What does this mean? Why is it | | | | vortex that was killing me. |
| happening? What does it say about the nature of | | | | 2. I had to reassess my definition of what it |
| the "help" many therapists, who are succumbing | | | | meant to "help" others. |
| to it, are actually affording their clients, if any? | | | | 3. I had to find a new direction which was aligned |
| What can and needs to be done about it? | | | | with a more honest definition of what it meant to |
| In order to answer many of these questions I will | | | | truly "help others". One that was positive for both |
| draw on my own personal experience of having | | | | client and facilitator (I now no longer use the term |
| been a psychiatrist/psychotherapist for almost 20 | | | | therapist in relation to this new approach because |
| years and for having been directly affected by | | | | it reflects a construct from the old traditional |
| "compassion fatigue". | | | | approach which I no longer entertain). |
| Much of my training was in traditional | | | | So I made the only decision (which some have |
| psychotherapeutic modalities i.e. analytical | | | | said was courageous, but in my view was the |
| psychotherapy, interpersonal therapy, cognitive | | | | only one I could make) and that was to leave |
| behavioral therapy, as well as more alternative | | | | behind everything I had spent most of my life |
| forms of therapy such as analytical hypnotherapy, | | | | working towards, my career. |
| imagery work and EMDR. My journey, as I think is | | | | On reflecting on the nature of "helping others" in a |
| the journey of most therapists, has been to find | | | | genuine way I developed a new process; an |
| the most effective modality for my clients. The | | | | approach to helping others which diverges from |
| list I gave above is some indication of the time | | | | the notion underlying my traditional training (i.e. |
| and energy I spent trying to achieve this end. | | | | that the way to help is to sustain your clients with |
| What was the net result of my efforts however? | | | | your life energy, even if most therapists don't |
| Well, in truth, over my 20 odd years in practice I | | | | even realize that this is what they are doing) and |
| found my emotional and physical energy becoming | | | | which supports both client and facilitator in what is |
| progressively drained. So much so that I | | | | essentially true about each of them. |
| developed what some might call Chronic Fatigue | | | | This goes something like this: |
| Syndrome. | | | | Both facilitator and client are Divine Beings. The |
| What I came to recognize it as however was a | | | | only thing that keeps them from recognizing this |
| state of "Spiritual Life Energy Depletion" (SLED for | | | | and living this are the conditioned beliefs that they |
| short). | | | | carry about themselves and others. The process |
| My case of SLED is what I believe many | | | | assists individuals in releasing such conditioned |
| therapists are now calling Compassion Fatigue. So | | | | beliefs thereby allowing them to remember and |
| what is SLED? | | | | re-experience their true Divine Nature. |
| Well it's just what it implies, a depletion of my | | | | As one undergoes this experience they reconnect |
| spiritual life energy. Another way of saying that is | | | | to their own Life Energy in such a way that they |
| that I was less and less present in my physical | | | | no longer feel a need to "draw" life energy from |
| body because my "life energy" had been used up. | | | | others, for that matter, in order to go on |
| Now since I am my life energy and my life | | | | functioning and living. |
| energy is me that's equivalent to saying that "I | | | | Another way of seeing what is going on here is |
| was used up". | | | | that rather than individuals buying into the notion |
| Hence the clients who were coming into to my | | | | that life energy is limited (and therefore can only |
| office were (knowingly or unknowingly) essentially | | | | be secured from someone else) that instead it is |
| using up my life energy to sustain themselves. In | | | | avaliable in abundance and is accessible directly |
| the meanwhile I was being drained, being used up, | | | | through an experience of one's Divine Self. One |
| or more dramatically I was dying! That's what it | | | | just needs to find it there within them. |
| means for one's life energy to be drained or used | | | | The net result for both facilitator and client is that |
| up. | | | | both experience a rise in their energy level, a |
| After I realized that this is not where I wanted to | | | | greater feeling of aliveness, a feeling of lightness, |
| be I had to do some serious soul searching to | | | | a greater feeling a inner peace and calmness, |
| understand what I had gotten myself into. I was | | | | greater emotional resilience, greater feelings of |
| of the mind that helping others was supposed to | | | | love and compassion, more inspired and able to |
| help one feel uplifted, joyful, content, fulfilled, | | | | reclaim control over every aspect of their lives |
| energized, alive and loving life. Well clearly this | | | | and so much more. |
| wasn't happening to me. In my view, it probably is | | | | If you are suffering from something akin to |
| an illusion that many therapists are still futilely | | | | Compassion Fatigue or an individual looking for a |
| searching for. In the process they too are being | | | | new experience of being helped kindly visit the |
| "used up"! Therefore we now have "Compassion | | | | web link below. |
| Fatigue". | | | | |