Distressed Psychologists
A great deal of very worthwhile literature has been written on the various sources of stress on the practiticing mental health professional, and they way that can impact our professional work, and potentially lead to burnout.
Ultimately, the intent of this website is to foster discussion and communication among mental health practitioners, with a focus on prevenention and the concept of the distressed, rather than impaired, professional. The impaired practitioner is is the individual whose professional work is not yet impaired, but who is already showing evidence of dysfunction in other aspects of their personal lives. We feel that this is a critical middle ground between the "psychologist" and the "impaired psychologist", a dichotomy fostered by various intervention programs at the state and national level.
This portion of the article by Faust, Black, Abrahams, Warner, M. & Bellando, B. (2008) describes the origins of the distressed psychologist from the Katrina experience.
As individuals, we were survivors of the storm; as professionals, we recognized that we were not trauma specialists but psychologists providing trauma services to a population with whom we had shared the experience of the storm and its aftermath. We strongly urge psychologists who wish to participate in the provision of disaster services to seek specialized evidence-based training in this area (Feeny, Foa, Treadwell, & March, 2004; Gibson, Hamblen, Zvolensky, & Aujanovic, 2006). Published research on the long-term impact of disaster on responders points to the need for availability of mental health support services for extended periods after natural disasters (McCaslin et al., 2005). Second-responder populations chronically exposed to the disaster experience can be expected to have a variety of longer term needs and reactions, reflecting a need to develop not only coping and resiliency-promoting activities (Mancini & Bonanno, 2006) but interventions and programs to facilitate recovery and to foster professional growth (Newman, 2005).
In this regard, impacted psychologists have a professional and ethical obligation to critically self-examine their capacity for the provision of service during both the acute and the chronic phase of recovery, to assess their personal needs, and to address those needs appropriately (Norcross, 2000; Palm, Polusny, & Follette, 2004). The distinction between the situationally distressed (but functional) psychologist and the traditionally considered impaired psychologist is important in this context and should continue to inform the development of colleague assistance programs at both the state and the national levels (American Psychological Association Board of Professional Affairs Advisory Committee on Colleague Assistance, 2006; Munsey, 2006).
More to come.
Ultimately, the intent of this website is to foster discussion and communication among mental health practitioners, with a focus on prevenention and the concept of the distressed, rather than impaired, professional. The impaired practitioner is is the individual whose professional work is not yet impaired, but who is already showing evidence of dysfunction in other aspects of their personal lives. We feel that this is a critical middle ground between the "psychologist" and the "impaired psychologist", a dichotomy fostered by various intervention programs at the state and national level.
This portion of the article by Faust, Black, Abrahams, Warner, M. & Bellando, B. (2008) describes the origins of the distressed psychologist from the Katrina experience.
As individuals, we were survivors of the storm; as professionals, we recognized that we were not trauma specialists but psychologists providing trauma services to a population with whom we had shared the experience of the storm and its aftermath. We strongly urge psychologists who wish to participate in the provision of disaster services to seek specialized evidence-based training in this area (Feeny, Foa, Treadwell, & March, 2004; Gibson, Hamblen, Zvolensky, & Aujanovic, 2006). Published research on the long-term impact of disaster on responders points to the need for availability of mental health support services for extended periods after natural disasters (McCaslin et al., 2005). Second-responder populations chronically exposed to the disaster experience can be expected to have a variety of longer term needs and reactions, reflecting a need to develop not only coping and resiliency-promoting activities (Mancini & Bonanno, 2006) but interventions and programs to facilitate recovery and to foster professional growth (Newman, 2005).
In this regard, impacted psychologists have a professional and ethical obligation to critically self-examine their capacity for the provision of service during both the acute and the chronic phase of recovery, to assess their personal needs, and to address those needs appropriately (Norcross, 2000; Palm, Polusny, & Follette, 2004). The distinction between the situationally distressed (but functional) psychologist and the traditionally considered impaired psychologist is important in this context and should continue to inform the development of colleague assistance programs at both the state and the national levels (American Psychological Association Board of Professional Affairs Advisory Committee on Colleague Assistance, 2006; Munsey, 2006).
More to come.