Dave Anders, MS, CCC-SLP, CBISTSeptember, 2020
Conscious Professionalism: Principles and Practices for Brain Injury Rehabilitation
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Credit is Due
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Sponsoring Organizations
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Conscious Professionalism Goals:• Support the personal and professional
development of individuals who provide care to people affected by acquired brain injury
• Enhance the philosophy of team functioning and inter-professional interaction
• Develop self-awareness and mindfulness at a personal level in order to augment engagement-based professional skills.
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The Big Questions1. How did I get to where I am?2. What is working well?3. What is not serving me well in my
professional and other life roles?
• This is not about changing others…this is about changing you.
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How do we define expertise in ABI rehabilitation?
What you know+
Emotional self-regulation__________=__________
Effective Professional Skills
• Your ability to know yourself allows your knowledge to result in effectiveness or ineffectiveness as a provider of care.
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Content and Context• Content = The “What”
– Any of the recurring themes within your role as a professional (or your other roles):
• PS and family interaction issues• Staff interaction issues• Team / Interdepartmental Functioning• Compliance challenges
– How the “what” is heard depends on how we say it and under what conditions (the context)
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Content and Context• Context = The “How”
– Not just how we say something or the physical environment (the outer game)
– The interpersonal context– How we “show up” in the world (the inner
game):• Emotional Intelligence• To Me vs. By Me• Above vs. Below the line
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Contexts: EQ• The ability to be aware, identify and monitor one’s own
emotions in order to make decisions and act accordingly in social situations (Daniel Goleman)
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EQ’s Professional Impact• Center for Creative Leadership
– EQ accounts for 58% of performance in all types of jobs. It is the single biggest predictor of performance.
– EQ is a better predictor of success than IQ.• 90% of high performers are high in EQ vs.• 20% of low performers are high in EQ
– People with high EQ earn an average of $29k more than low EQs.
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Contexts: “To Me” vs. “By Me”
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Drama Triangle• Shifts come through re-defining responsibility
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The Tool
• What story and meaning have you created from the facts?
• Where are you right now?
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Above and Below the Line
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Your Brain on Threat• Have you met your amygdalae?
– Two almond-shaped structures– Identifies threats to well-being– Scan your experience and decide
which “track” to send that experience to
• Track 1 = Cortex• Track 2 = Limbic System
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Track 1 – the cortex• The cortex is referred to as the
“thinking brain.”
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Track 2 – The limbic system• In the presence of threat, the amygdala
overrides the cortex…and activates the limbic system instead.
• Catecholamines are released– Burst of energy lasting up to several minutes. – Angry desire to take immediate protective
action. – Heart rate accelerates, blood pressure rises,
breathing increases– Face may flush (blood goes to the extremities)– Attention narrows and focuses on target of
anger– Adrenaline and noradrenaline released which
trigger a lasting state of arousal.
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Below the LineBeliefs Behaviors Statements
Being right is the most important thing
Cling to an opinion “Shoulds”
There’s not “enough” Gossip “It’s not my fault”
I need to be in control. Rationalize / Justify “always / never”
There are only two options (polarity
focused)
Enroll others to affirm beliefs
“I’m sorry, but…”
There is a right / wrongway
Attack or Avoid “the problem is…”
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Above the LineBeliefs Behaviors Statements
Everything is a learning opportunity
Get Curious “What I hear you saying is…”
Questioning my beliefs helps me grow
Appreciate “My preference is…”
From a distance it is not as serious as it seems
Take Responsibility “always / never”
There are multiple possibilities / solutions
Welcome Feedback “What can I / we learn from this?”
Growth and learning is more important than
being right
Wonder “Is there a gift in this?”
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Drifting Below vs. Shifting AboveDrifting:• Sarcasm• Blaming• Yielding to distractions• Concealing• Ignoring• Organizing• Justifying• Procrastinating• Worrying• Etc…etc…
Shifting:• Hmmm…I
wonder…?• Changing posture• Appreciating• Taking responsibility• Conscious
breathing• Conscious self-
awareness
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The Commitments: ResponsibilityI commit to taking full responsibility for the circumstances of my life and my physical,
emotional, mental and spiritual wellbeing. I commit to support others to take full
responsibility for their lives._____________________________________
I commit to blaming others and myself for what is wrong in the world. I commit to being a
victim, villain or a hero and either over-or under-attributing responsibility.
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The Commitments: CuriosityI commit to growing in self-awareness. I
commit to seeing every interaction as an opportunity to learn.
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I commit to being right and seeing this situation as something that is happening to me. I commit to being defensive especially
when I am certain that I am RIGHT
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The Commitments: AlliesI commit to seeing all people and
circumstances as allies that are perfectly suited to help me learn the most important
things in life._____________________________________
I commit to seeing people and circumstances as obstacles and
impediments to what I most want.
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The Commitments: CandorI commit to saying what is true for me. I commit
to be a person to whom others can express themselves with candor.
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I commit to withholding my truth (facts, feelings, things I imagine) and speaking in a way that
allows me to try to manipulate an outcome. I commit to formulating my responses rather than
truly listening to others
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The Commitments: IntegrityI commit to consistency in word and
deed, expressing the unarguable truth and keeping my agreements.
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I commit to inconsistency in word and deed. I will take responsibility and speak
the truth only when it benefits me.
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The Commitments: GossipI commit to end gossip, to talk directly to people
with whom I have an issue or concern and to encourage others to talk directly with people
with whom they have an issue or concern._____________________________________
I commit to saying things about people that I have not or will not say to them. I commit to
talking about people in ways that I wouldn’t if they were there. I commit to listening to others
when they gossip.
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Two Requirements:
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Final Thought