Page 143 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 23

rus�ng Him not only yourself but also pa�ents and ganiza�on of working �me, circadian rhythm, com-
the process of psychotherapy is a safe humility. mu�ng, or maybe the rela�onship with the pa�ent
or fear of my incompetence. Maybe I do not have
enough supervision that would help me unburden
4. The last point I wanted to draw a�en�on to con- myself or maybe I have too many difficult processes
cerns occupa�onal hygiene in the strict sense. This accumulated in one day? There can be many versi-
is a profession that is really demanding if you ap- ons of my fa�gue, hence it is so important to know
proach it with 100% commitment. This work is sim- what is happening in me in order to be able to re-
ply �ring. Over �me, it threatens to unhealthy ex- medy it.
ceeding your own limits of emo�onal endurance,
even intellectual but also physical. You can feel Of course, the ques�on immediately arises what
overwhelmed by human dramas or simply someo- helps me the most, what methods do I have that
ne's way of being in your office, you can ponder or work for me? It is important to know both what can
dream someone's stories at night a�er work, you help me before a day of work or a specific session,
can feel depressed by emo�ons that are not yours as well as those that will help me recover a�er clas-
or your countertransference. You can feel like an ses so that I can return home and be with my loved
empty shell a�er a day or a week or another year ones without reac�ng in these private rela�onships
but s�ll remain ready to help. of my work. Every now and then I make such a visu-
aliza�on of my dream 24 hours. A wonderful �me.
It is very dangerous when you do not respect your But the most wonderful thing is that the content of
own capacity, your condi�on, your fragility, your ill- this visualiza�on easily shows me what I currently
ness, your aging. Neglec�ng physical, mental, rela- lack, what I need the most. I sincerely recommend
�onal, spiritual needs takes away our ability to be it.
op�mal in helping, to feel good in helping and to
feel good a�er leaving work. The tempta�on of At the end of today's lecture, I want to say that I ex-
many a "helper", especially a Chris�an one, is preci- perience how much this work, this profession has
sely the unhealthy understanding of dedica�on in developed me, how much it has sensi�zed me, how
the service of the suffering. Of course, one can also much existen�al reflec�on it has given me, how
overdo it and burn out for less spiritual reasons, much it has helped me name and re-evaluate, ar-
simply for money. Both human reasons, both dan- range in my head and in my heart. How o�en I
gerous in the long run. could see myself in the pa�ents as in a mirror. And
how much this work encourages gra�tude. My fa-
Do I know what in my work �res me the most, what vorite Saint Francis of Assisi “ because by giving we
element of it, whether it is technical, some bad or- receive.

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