compassion fatigue in the animal care community glickman1
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Compassion Fatigue in the Animal Care Community
Presented by:
Lauren Glickman, Executive Director of Feral Cat Spay/Neuter Project and Principal Consultant of FORAY Consulting & Associates
Hilary Anne Hager, Director, National Volunteer Center, HSUS and Associate
Consultant of FORAY Consulting & Associates
May 2013
Introductions
Today’s Agenda
• Introduction and Housekeeping
• Why You Do What You Do
• Compassion Fatigue and Trauma
• Three Levels of Trauma Stewardship
• Symptoms and Signs
• Our Nervous System
• Skills
• Providing a Good Death
• Self-Care Plan
• Conclusion
A Few Requests
• Listening No side conversations
• Learning Partnership Participate and contribute
Speak up if something isn’t working
• Respect Creating a safe space
Anonymity vs. Confidentiality
Cell phones off
A Word About Listening
Joy and Pain
Locus of Control
• External – the quality of your life is determined by what happens around you, the actions of others, or to chance factors
• Internal – the quality of your life is determined by your behaviors and your reactions to what happens around you
Compassion Fatigue
• Also known as:
Secondary traumatic stress disorder, vicarious traumatization, empathic strain and secondary trauma
• A holistic way of thinking about it:
Trauma Stewardship – “refers to the entire conversation about how we come to do this work, how we are affected by it, and how we make sense of and learn from our experiences.” - Laura van Dernoot Lipsky
Compassion Satisfaction
• Compassion satisfaction refers to
the pleasure you derive from being able to do your work well.
positive feelings about your colleagues and their efforts
your ability to contribute to the work setting or even the greater good of society.
your feelings about your ability to be an effective caregiver.
Worrying about things we
cannot control is our favorite form of self-harassment.
~ Gavin de Becker
Break Time
15 Minutes
Levels of Trauma Stewardship
Individual • The most profound influence on our ability to cope
• Think about –
Your own history of hardship.
The resources available to you in the past.
What led you to this work? Consider your journey to the seat you're in now.
Do you identify with the trauma you see? Is this personal?
Levels of Trauma Stewardship
Organizational • Make better
• Make worse
Societal • Systemic isolation
High-Risk Factors Exposure to:
Abused animals Limited financial resources—organization and client Administrative policies Poverty distress Euthanasia Distressed customers The constant stream of demands Uncertainty/Ambiguity Volumes of distressed people in a short amount of time Conflict within the workplace Conflict in personal life Stressed-out peers Attrition Constant change Physical danger
The Signs
• Anger and cynicism
• It’s never enough
• Inability to empathize/Numbing
• Hyper-vigilance
The Signs
• Addiction
• Diminished creativity
• Minimizing
• Inability to embrace complexity
The Signs
• Dissociative moments
• Grandiosity and inflated sense of importance
• Sense of persecution
• Fear
The Signs
• Chronic exhaustion/physical ailments
• Inability to listen/deliberate avoidance
• Helplessness/Hopelessness
• Guilt
Discussion
Your Nervous System • Sympathetic nervous system
Reactive
Perceived threat (stress, anxiety)
Fight, flight or freeze (limited options)
Language is less available (less articulate)
Cortisol – stress hormone
• Parasympathetic nervous system Receptive
Calm (non-anxious)
Rest, relaxation (enjoyment)
Creative (many options)
Language is available (articulate)
Intentional
DHEA – happiness hormone
Stress-Related Hormones
Increased susceptibility to
illness and disease
For things to change,
we must change.
For things to get better,
we must get better.
~ Heidi Wills
Lunch
Complaining
• What do you love about complaining?
• What do you hate about complaining?
• Invitation
Triangulation
Being a Non-Anxious Presence
You influencing you
• Have thoughts on purpose
• Unclenching
• Engage cyclical breathing
• Recognize your stress cue
• Remember differentiation
• Be careful about sharing anxiety
For things to change,
we must change.
For things to get better,
we must get better.
~ Heidi Wills
Break Time
15 minutes
Self-Validation
The Ladder of Inference (developed by Chris Argyris)
We begin with Real Data & Experience (What is So) We then Select Data & Experience that we pay attention to. To this Selected Data & Experience we Affix Meaning. (Your Story) We develop Assumptions, come to Conclusions, and finally develop Beliefs. Beliefs then form the basis of our Actions which create additional Real Data & Experience
If there were a magic pill…
…it would be gratitude.
• Articulate three skills you have that make you a valuable
member of your animal care team?
• What are three things you appreciate about the physical space in which you work?
• What are three things you love about your home?
• Write down three compliments your best friends would give you.
• Describe three ways you make life better for animals in your community.
Providing a Good Death
• Framework • We Thinking • Your Self • Structural Elements • Tools • Honoring the Moment
Self-Care Plan
Closing the Day
• Share impressions
One or two concepts from today that were particularly resonant
A commitment/declaration about your intention
A request for support
An acknowledgment
Something else?
Thank you for the work you do!
Lauren Glickman 206-696-0850 [email protected]
Hilary Anne Hager 240-753-3387 [email protected]