Discussion: Proactive Self-Care
In the counseling profession, self-care is often thought of as a reaction to an increase in stress, rather than as a proactive measure utilized to prevent the effects of burnout and other stress-related challenges. As you plan your internship experience, consider the impact of proactive self-care, remembering your ethical obligation to maintain emotional health and competency to work effectively in the counseling field.
Reflect upon your practicum experience and the types of stressful situations you encountered at your fieldwork site. What impact did these situations have on you, both physically and emotionally? How did your reaction to stress affect the work you were doing with your clients? How would you like to be more proactive in taking care of yourself this quarter?
For this discussion, create a concrete, realistic, and reasonable self-care plan that you will use during your internship experience this quarter. Be specific in describing the steps you will take and use examples to illustrate how you will do this. Use the materials linked in the Resources to inform your plan.
The response should include a reference list. Double-space, using Times New Roman 12 pnt font, one-inch margins, and APA style of writing and citations.