Caring for Ourselves: A Therapist's Guide to Personal and Professional Well-Being

Author: Ellen K. BakerPublisher: Amer Psychological AssnHardcover:ISBN 10: 1557989346ISBN 13: 978-1557989345This book examines the conflicts and deterrents to self-care that can often lead to distress, impairment, or burnout. It invites readers to add their own "voices to the chorus" via journaling exercises that systematically peel through the layers of this complex issue by individually exploring topics ranging from exercise and body image to vicarious traumatization, coping, replenishing, and seeking personal therapy. Review "Dr. Baker challenges traditional taboos and promotes the 'radical' notion that self-care for therapists is an ethical imperative." -- Karen W. Saakvitne, PhD, clinical director of Traumatic Stress Institute, coauthor of Trauma and the Therapist and Transforming the Pain"Ellen Baker...makes the case decisively that self-care is both necessary and effective for personal and patient well-being." -- Michael F. O'Connor, PhD, Former Chair, American Psychological Association Advisory Committee on Colleague Assistance; Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine About the Author Ellen K. Baker was on staff at the Veterans Administration Medical Centers of Washington, DC, and Palo Alto, California, and the Washington Women's Medical Center.