Goal of the Week

Last month I started a six month long training and certification process to become a certified trauma therapist for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. I have  started Cognitive Processing Therapy with four of my veterans so far, and while I am a cognitive therapist a heart CPT really speaks to me in a way that makes sense, and it feels so hopeful to know that people CAN recover from PTSD and really can move forward with their lives once they move away from their distorted beliefs to a more balanced way of thinking. The difficult part has been hearing and carrying their trauma stories, from combat trauma to deeply disturbing interpersonal and other traumas.

One of my research projects as an intern was on vicarious traumatization and how therapists can develop clinical symptoms based upon their patients' stories. Since getting hired on I've become aware that this is an area that we seem to have some deficits in as a social work community, but I do feel fortunate to have a few very supportive people I can turn to.

Achieving the elusive "work life balance" has been challenging, more so than I imagined, so my goal for this week will be to employ some of my own strategies, and I really hope to work on some more mindfulness skills and realize that in my growth as a therapist one of the most important things I can do to take care of my patients is to take care of myself.