TPC-Journal-V5-Issue2

300 the most frequently used and one of the most highly effective self-care principles” (p. 94). Due to counselors’ innate desire to help others, they often take on too many clients or are mandated to do so by agency policies. Counselors may provide extra time to ancillary responsibilities and have unrealistic expectations of themselves. As such, we recommend that professional counselors obtain good supervision to help manage and maintain work–life balance, particularly when working with children with special needs. In addition to the benefits of physical and cognitive self-care strategies, spirituality also has been shown to enhance levels of wellness and thus decrease the potential for burnout and compassion fatigue. Spiritual self-care strategies. Spirituality comes in many forms and there is no finite definition of how one engages in his or her spiritual self. Many counselors and psychotherapists identify their own career path as a calling to care for others and commitment to growth and self- knowledge (Norcross & Guy, 2007). Research supports that spirituality, prayer and meditation are positive manners in which to promote wellness and augment self-care (Cashwell, 2005). Spiritual beliefs, practices and experiences are intricately connected and may continue to foster support from communities and individuals, along with reinforcing healthy emotions. While working with children experiencing the later stages of CF, professional counselors’ spirituality may help them connect with clients on a more meaningful level. Taking a spiritual perspective can further shape counselors’ perspective on life events (Young, 2005), particularly when they are grieving the death of a child with CF. In seeking a spiritual connection to a higher power, the negative responses to stressful events may be limited (Young, Cashwell, & Shcherbakova, 2000), strengthening one’s wellness and ability to care for oneself. These actions, along with discussing spirituality with the child and family affected by CF, may further model healthy practices during difficult times in the disease process. Spiritual self-care can include the use of mindfulness, which can be viewed as the nonjudgmental awareness of one’s own inner suffering (Birnie, Speca, & Carlson, 2010) and reflections on self-compassion (Neff, 2003). Birnie et al. (2010) described self-compassion as the awareness of “feelings of caring and kindness towards oneself in the face of personal suffering” and the “recognition that one’s suffering, failures, and inadequacies are part of the human condition” (p. 2). When counseling children with CF, professional counselors may consider routinely expressing self-compassion as part of their inner dialogue. The following mantra used by the second author may be of assistance to professional counselors implementing spiritual self-care: Suffering is part of life. My clients suffer, but did not choose this illness. They are walking in its wake and I will walk alongside them. I will extend loving kindness in all the work I do, despite the pain and suffering I experience and witness. We highlight the following three essential components of self-compassion: (a) extending kindness and understanding toward oneself rather than harsh judgments or criticism, (b) recognizing that suffering (even chronic illness) is a part of the larger human condition, and (c) not overidentifying with the awareness of one’s painful thoughts (Birnie et al., 2010; Neff, 2003). By engaging in self-compassion and mindfulness, professional counselors may help to prevent incidences of compassion fatigue while working with children and families affected by CF by recognizing that this illness has a role in their humanity. Conclusion Professional counselors working with children and families affected by CF should consider the physical and psychosocial challenges facing this special-needs population. With the discouraging nature of the disease progression, professional counselors must have a basic understanding of the client’s chronic condition (Thompson & Henderson, 2007) and how the progression of the illness affects the child’s emotional state. Professional counselors must further explore how to limit the impact of occupational stress that may lead