eMOTION in the Mirror
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ing them in a creative way. I felt relieved and proud of myself for being able to transform my destructive thoughts and energies into pieces of art.” “I've always been interested in arts on an amateur level. Films, poems, novels, listening to music and dancing has been a great source of energy and joy in my life, but creating something new myself, gives even more. It's a different level of consciousness.” Helping professionals are facing difficult topics, life stories, and problems on a daily basis. Though working individually (personal therapist, free-lance trainers and visiting teachers, independent clowns, etc.) or in team (therapist, educators and teachers in institutions, social performer groups, etc.) does mean different context and available support systems - but all are exposed to a regular meeting with unexpected stories compounded by loss, sadness, anger, anxiety, hopelessness, disorders, problems and questions. Furthermore, these require responses, solutions, actions where the helper is the source to facilitate the change. Having a profession like this on a daily basis calls for self-care and awareness to maintain ones physical and mental health. Lacking the attention and work may lead to compassion fatigue, heart issues, depression and suicidal ideation, compromised immune systems, headaches, stomach problems, and so on (Schneider, 1984). During our research the involved helping professionals (workers at refugee camps, movement therapist, clowns and performers, nurses, youth workers) all could relate to one or more of the following phases of burn-out (Edelwich and Brodsky, 1980):
Enthusiasm – “… a tendency to be overly available and to over-identify with clients” Stagnation – “… expectations shrink to normal proportions and personal discontent begins to surface” Frustration – “Difficulties seem to multiply and the helper becomes bored, less tolerant, less sympathetic, and she or he copes by avoiding and withdrawing from relationships” Apathy – “Characterized by depression and listlessness.”
Having a broad age group in our project we had a chance to look into the differences along the age, professional experience and history (duration of working in the area) of the helping professionals in our group. While fresh helping professionals (out of the university, at the beginning of their career) are usually less aware and have still more motivation to deal with their personal, professional burn-out related issues, the more experienced ones are more cynical and see sometime support to get away or resolve their problems more useless or childish. A “rescuer” model is a chief cause of burn-out in the helping professions. It is someone who cannot keep from stepping in to give support, empathy and advice - even when not asked for it. The problem is two folded. Firstly, the support might not be appreciated, as it is not asked for. Solving others problem will not help, helping others to find their solution is more likely to have results. Next to this she/he neglects her/his own needs and will be highly dependent on others confirmation, appreciations. The roots of the problem also differ, while the young, passionate ones are in the eager to help (as much, as often as they can) phase, sometimes without balancing between the identity of a “helper” and the identity of being “human.”
Result of ‘The Artist Within – Applied eMOTION’ Erasmus+ project