Question
How Does Compassion Fatigue Show Up in Social Work Practice?
Answer
It is important to think about how compassion fatigue shows up in practice. It is often a symptom of long periods of isolation. Professional isolation means that you do not share information with others, especially regarding how connected you are to your practice. You may be going through a life crisis yourself. Imagine trying to counsel somebody on their marriage when you are going through a divorce yourself. Do you have people outside of work who can lift you up?
It can also show up through not using self-disclosure in a way that is useful. You may find that you have a need for clients to be dependent on you because it feels fulfilling for you. You want to be liked by clients, which can cause us to try hard to please somebody. You may also be extra sensitive when people are criticizing you. We may want to feel like an expert, so you are not paying attention to what the other person brings to the table. Remember that a client is the expert of their own lives. You need to help them realize that and identify what has worked for them in the past.
We often talk about how a social worker’s main job is to work themselves out of a job. If compassion fatigue starts to take over, we see that we are the only ones that can be helpful. To that same extent, you may feel the need to control the relationship. You may also demonstrate too much curiosity about aspects of a client's life that are irrelevant to the work that you do with them. You may stop seeking supervision and consultation. Another way compassion fatigue can show up is through withholding information or only showing the details that make you look good.
We can also tend to be aggressive and confrontational. We may react negatively to people who can show assertiveness. You may grow uncomfortable with emotional expression, resulting in you telling a person to suppress those feelings. Another issue could be over-identifying with clients with problems similar to your own. You even may give them suggestions because you want them to try it out before you do. It could be subtle or obvious, such as encouraging a patient to side against authority. It also may be idealizing clients or setting unrealistic goals for them. This sets them up for failure because we are not able to see what is showing up in the assessment.
These different outcomes can show up at various stages of our practice. The most important thing to remember is that not taking care of ourselves can have ramifications for our clients. Those are the warning signs that tell us we need to pause and reflect.
This Ask the Expert is an edited excerpt from the course, Avoiding Professional Potholes: Everyday Ethical Social Work Practice, presented by Michelle Gricus, DSW, MSW, LICSW, LCSW-C.
