Barefoot Vegan Mag Jan_Feb 2017

compassion fatigue or you don’t – it’s more like to what
degree do you have it. If left untreated, it can become
severe enough to the point of burnout. If well managed,
you can remain energised and experience more
compassion satisfaction than fatigue.
Your new book - To Save a Starfish: A
Compassion Fatigue Workbook for the
Animal Welfare Warrior - offers a holistic
approach to dealing with compassion
fatigue. Why is this important?
I have a very holistic approach to treating my clients, and
I wanted this book to reflect that. We hold trauma, grief,
and stress in our bodies – not just our brains. I believe
very strongly in the mind-body connection. And so I
wanted to offer a variety of practical stress management
techniques and self-care skills that people could
incorporate into their daily lives. I don’t believe that
healing comes in a one-size-fits-all approach, and so my
hope is that readers will try the recommendations and
discover what works best for them.
What will readers gain from the book?
The very first thing that I hope readers will gain from the
book is validation. Assurance that you are not alone, that
what you are going through has a name and is normal.
You’re not weak; you’re not flawed. There is no
compassion fatigue without compassion, so chances are
you probably care a great deal. But that comes with a
price, and so we have to learn to manage the symptoms
that can arise from caring so much. We have to take care
of ourselves in order to take care of others. This book
offers helpful tools to manage the many symptoms of
compassion fatigue, including relaxation techniques,
nutrition advice, self-care skills, sleep hygiene,
challenging unhelpful thinking styles, using physical
activity and creativity to combat compassion fatigue, and
much more. Because it’s written in a workbook format,
readers have the opportunity to reflect on their own
struggles and experiences. BV
For more information, visit
Jennifer’s website at
www.deepwatermichigan.com to
learn more and to join her email list
for regular advice on compassion
fatigue, as well as upcoming events
and announcements. Be sure to also
look for The Compassion Fatigue
Podcast, which is scheduled to be
released this month – January 2017!
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