Three Things I'm Contemplating This Week
Three Things I'm Contemplating This Week
Or, how to keep doing this work.
After three long years of working through the pandemic, I finally returned to Europe for vacation. The last three years have been challenging for therapists across the world. We learned how to do therapy via telehealth overnight, navigated working from home, and worked to balance our concerns about Covid while continuing to provide mental health services to our clients.
Three weeks in Portugal left me feeling rested and refreshed. My enthusiasm for my work has increased, and my tank is full. So this week, I have considered how I can continue this experience in the “real world.”
Here are a few things that I have been thinking about this week:
First, carrying the feeling of rest and refreshment from vacation into my practice.
The phrases work-life alance and self-care have been used so much that they have almost become background noise. Yet, they are critical for us to be able to continue the difficult work we do to support our clients in their healing and recovery.
Reflecting on what was most beneficial during my trip, I noted three things that contributed to my sense of peace: I walked almost everywhere, I took time to sit and enjoy my coffee each day and visit with friends and family, I read for pleasure.
My commitment is to intentionally incorporate these into my day.
The resiliency of clients.
We all work with clients with different needs. Many of my clients have histories of complex trauma and need lots of support. When I go on an extended vacation, I am so often surprised by their resiliency. They adapt and work with my colleagues in my absence and continue to move forward in their healing.
This Quote by Bruce Perry
“The more healthy relationships a child has, the more likely he will be to recover from trauma and thrive. Relationships are the agents of change, and the most powerful therapy is human love.” ~ Bruce D. Perry