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12 TPC Digest Susannah C. Coaston Self-Care Through Self-Compassion A Balm for Burnout C ompassion is essential to a counselor’s role, as it enables development of the therapeutic relationship vital for change. At the same time, however, counselors often struggle to direct such compassion toward themselves. Counselors’ exposure to painful situations, traumatic circumstances, and overwhelming emotions can put them at risk for burnout, a multidimensional experience of exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced professional efficacy. A self-compassion–infused self- care plan can serve as a protective factor against work-related stress. Self-care is widely promoted within the counseling literature. Inherent in many self-care plans, though, is the idea that the presence of work stress suggests the counselor failed in some way, either through inadequate coping resources or poor health practices. Self- care plans tend to read like New Year’s resolutions, as statements of goals for which people feel more a sense of obligation than passion. That “self-improvement” approach gives rise to ample opportunities for judgment and criticism, positioning people to denigrate themselves. By using self-compassion tenets as a guide, self-care plans can be created that are kind, provide connection to the human experience, and reflect a balanced state of self-awareness. Self-compassion consists of self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness. It is characterized by gentleness with oneself when faced with a perceived sense of inadequacy or failure. The practice of self-compassion calls for a mindful awareness of emotions, wherein one meets painful emotions with a sense of understanding. Mindfulness is critical for the awareness of suffering that precedes compassion, helping the counselor become aware of pain. Self-compassion, then, represents the act of taking that awareness and encouraging kindness towards oneself. The common humanity component helps the individual recognize pain as a universal occurrence, fostering a sense of connection with others who have felt suffering. In that manner, pain becomes an uncomfortable but acknowledged part of the human condition. When practicing self-compassion, the self-directed kindness is not done to change the circumstance of suffering, but done because there is suffering. To practice self-compassion, a counselor needs to be willing to attend to feelings of discomfort, pain, or suffering and acknowledge the experience without self-recrimination. When such feelings are recognized, the counselor may act compassionately toward himself or herself by normalizing or validating the experience as part of suffering, which is part of the human condition. Without the common humanity component, automatic thoughts may be self-critical, thereby invalidating the sufferer. This invalidation can cause the counselor to feel as though self-care is an act of indulgence rather than an essential, self-directed gift of kindness. Expressing kindness through self-care acknowledges that counseling can be both difficult and rewarding, a duality representative of the human condition. Cultivating an attitude of self-compassion may assist counselors in employing self-care practices that are rejuvenating and can provide a needed recharge. The author provides specific self-care suggestions that are organized into categories of mind, body, and spirit, although many interventions can satisfy the counselor in multiple ways. Susannah C. Coaston is an assistant professor at Northern Kentucky University. Correspondence can be addressed to Susannah Coaston, 1 Nunn Drive, MEP 203C, Highland Heights, KY 41099, coastons1@nku.edu.