Professional Debriefing

There are many occupations that provide ‘front line’ services to people.  By ‘front line’ I mean services where you are in direct contact with people who are in distress or traumatised.  This kind of work is very demanding and can take its toll emotionally, physically and psychologically.

These occupations often require a high level of confidentiality coupled with high expectations of success and capacity to cope.  This can mean that there is little opportunity for you to talk freely about difficult encounters, reflect on their impact or develop strategies to de-stress.

Occupational Burnout and Compassion Fatigue

Professional debriefing is a service that helps people who are feeling ‘burnt out’ or are suffering ‘compassion fatigue’ as a result of their voluntary or paid employment. Burnout and compassion fatigue are terms that describe the negative effects on people who are confronted through their work with overwhelming and demanding situations in the service of helping people.  When the impact of this kind of work reaches a point where it directly affects your capacity to feel well and function normally it is known as vicarious traumatisation. Vicarious traumatisation is the impact on a person of repeated emotionally intimate contact with trauma survivors where it results in a change in your worldview and sense of justness and safety of the world.FEEL BURNT OUT?
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Most people would recognise that professionals like the police, fire fighters and mental health professionals deal with a high level of emotionally challenging situations and with people who have been severely traumatised.  But there are many other professionals who come into regular contact with emotionally distraught people dealing with traumatic situations such as; separation and divorce, financial hardship, legal battles, homelessness, moves from war torn countries, the death of loved ones and other devastating losses.

So, how do you know when your work is impacting you in a way that needs attention and support?

• Do you find it difficult to forget about a particular case or client?
• Do you have nightmares or find it hard to get to sleep?
• Do you constantly feel drained and tired?
• Are you overwhelmed by unfamiliar feelings of cynicism or hopelessness?
• Do you dread going into work, or seeing particular clients?
• Are you overloaded with work for people who desperately need your help?
• Are you always feeling stressed?
• Are you finding it increasingly difficult to sympathise with your clients?
• Do you suffer from headaches, stomach pains or digestive ailments, neck and back pain with no apparent medical cause?

If you answer yes to a number of these questions it may be that you are suffering from the effects of burnout or compassion fatigue?  Professional and confidential debriefing can help.

Professional and confidential debriefing provides a safe and non-judgemental environment where you can talk, process and manage the impact of highly stressful work situations.

Seek support

If you have had a traumatic experience at work or are feeling overwhelmed and burnt out by the nature of your work and feel the need to talk it through, please get in touch now ...