International Journal of Trauma Research and Practice - Anger Study_0

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al. explained that perception of social disturbance and dangerousness were two of the factors implicit instereotypes. Women working with power and control issues may easily make the connection of theseconcepts, reinforcing negative attitudes. Lauber and colleagues in their Swiss study called for a change inattitude among mental health professionals. Addressing these issues in professional education and qualityclinical supervision are paramount.Administrators need to become more sensitive to gender expectations given the multiple messages thatwomen receive from society. Supervisors are in a position of power that enable them to protect employeesfrom work overload that would be detrimental to their own self-care. They are in a unique positionto become aware of and recognize symptoms of burnout before it negatively affects the therapist in theirpersonal or professional responsibilities. Supervisors may need additional training in how to intervenewith impaired clinicians.Research: The themes identified in this study may help guide future researchers’ efforts to understandbetter the experience of mental health professionals. Although the themes were developed based onthe responses of two interviewees, they still provide insight for identification of more specific questions orsurvey development. In addition, the themes in this particular study were found after interviewing femaleclinicians. Exploring whether gender differences indeed do exist in the experience of burnout and vicarioustrauma would be an important future step.Future research is also needed to address whether gender makes a difference in the experience ofcompassion fatigue. The importance of quality relationships, both collegial and supervisory, among womenwho are trauma therapists deserves exploration as well.Finally, researchers are encouraged to explore the impact of agency policy on the burnout and resilienceof the clinicians employed. Disconnects between required performance and actual performance (e.g.,the night groups that were required, or client quotas) may contribute to negative attitudes and burnout.It seems that counselor training needs to shift focus from awareness of vicarious trauma and burnout tocreating safer working conditions for mental health professionals with emphasis given to structural support.Increased emphasis on prevention of burnout rather than treatment of symptoms will benefit the professionConclusionIJTRP | Summer 2014The researchers set out to explore how female therapists experience burnout working in a smallcommunity agency and to identify factors that contributed to increased feelings of support. After interviewingtwo therapists and observing seven therapists and agency staff, the researchers found five majorthemes (personal stressors, work-related stressors, self-care coping strategies, experience of burnout, andsupervision); five subcategories (social support, stressors related to clients, stressors related to relationshipwith co-workers, stressors related to relationship with Supervisor [Executive Director], and stressors relatedto Agency policy); and four observation themes (physical description of the Agency, description of theemployees, interactions among office staff, and interactions among the therapists).An important conclusion is that the quality and strength of relationships often mediated burnout.Specific attention must be given to the development and maintenance of the supervisory alliance and tofostering an atmosphere of support and collegiality among staff. When this occurs, female therapists willbe able to express feeling overwhelmed and ask for assistance when they need it.The implementation of Agency policy by the Executive Director was constraining to the therapistswhen it came to self-care. They knew they were over-extended and over-worked but felt they had no op-21
tion when asked to assume extra duties. Supervisors and directors must ask for feedback from supervisees,empowering them to express their concerns. Through this preliminary research, the authors encouragemental health professionals to stop looking at burnout as an individual problem and start recognizing systematic,structural, and cultural differences.ReferencesCerney, M. S. (1995). Treating the “heroic theaters”. In C.R. Figley (Ed.), Compassion fatigue: Coping withsecondary traumatic stress. (pp. 131-149). London: Sage.Conrad, D., & Keller-Guenther, Y. ( 2006) Compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfactionamong Colorado child protection workers. Child Abuse & Neglect, 30, 1071-1080.Dedovic, K., Wadiwalla, M., Engert, V., & Pruessner, J. C. (2009). The role of sex and gender socializationin stress reactivity. Developmental Psychology, 45(1), 45-55.Diamond, S. A. (2011) On the “feminization” of psychotherapy: Does your therapist’s gender really matter?Psychology Today.Ericson-Lidman, E., & Strandberg, G. ( 2007). Burnout: Co-workers’ perceptions of signs precedingworkmates’ burnout. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 60(2), 199-208. Doi: 10.1111/j. 1365-2648.2007.04399.xEverall, R. D., & Paulson, B. (2004). Burnout and secondary traumatic stress: Impact on ethical behavior.The Canadian Journal of Counseling, 38(1), 25-35.Figley, C. R. (2002). Compassion fatigue: Psychotherapists’ chronic lack of self care. Journal of ClinicalPsychology, 58, 1433-1441. Doi:10:1002/jclp.10090Hibbard, D. R., & Buhrmester, D. (1998). The role of peers in the socialization of gender-related socialinteraction styles. Sex Roles, 39(3/4), pp 185-202.Jenaro, C., Flores, N., & Arias, B. (2007). Burnout and coping in human service practitioners. ProfessionalPsychology: Research and Practice, 38(1), 80-87.Kahn, W. A. (1993). Caring for the caregivers: Patterns of organizational caregiving. AdministrativeScience Quarterly, 38(4), 539-563.Kimmel, M. (2008). The gendered society. Oxford University Press.Lawson, G., & Myers, J. E. (2011). Wellness, professional quality of life, and career-sustaining behaviors:What keeps us well? Journal of Counseling & Development, 46, 20-34.Lambert, S. F., & Lawson, G. (2013). Resilience of professional counselors following hurricanes Katrinaand Rita. DOI: 10.1002/j.1556-6676.2013.00094. Journal of Counseling & Development, 91,261–268.Mensinger, J. L., Bonifazi, D. Z., & LaRosa, J. (2007). Perceived gender role prescriptions in schools, theSuperwoman ideal, and disordered eating among adolescent girls. Sex Roles, 57, 557-568.Miller, B. (1990). Gender differences in spouse caregiver strain: Socialization and role explanations.Journal of Marriage and the Family, 52(2), 311-321.IJTRP | Summer 201422
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Page 5 and 6: Minnesota AVP Anger StudyTerry Kays
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