In this episode I interview Dr. Thomas Skovholt. He is a Morse-Alumni Distinguished Professor Emeritus, at the University of Minnesota and a consultant, lecturer and practitioner. He is author of the Skovholt Practitioner Professional Resiliency and Self-Care Inventory (2014) and a co-author with Michelle Trotter-Mathison of The Resilient Practitioner and An Open Letter of Love and Care to Health care Providers with Resilience Strategies for the COVID 19 war.
He discusses the “Toxic stew” that lead to burnout in Healthcare providers including vicarious traumatization, secondary trauma, compassion fatigue, emotional depletion and loss/grief. He discusses fear of being infected from COVID 19 that is impacting providers. He discusses ambiguous endings and how do we keep making new attachments and these disappear and how this can negatively effect providers. Dr. Skovholt goes into details all the endings that are part of the job and how difficult that can be. He shares info on the cycle of caring (empathic attachment, active involvement, Felt separation and Recreation) and how supervision can make a big difference in building resilience. He encouragers providers to find ways to reinvigorate themselves.
He discusses 5 strategies providers can use to boost resilience.
- Cultivate your resilience: Hope, optimism, self-compassion and gratitude are elements of resilience to grab onto
- Be connected to others: Build a strong web of connections personally and professionally
- Use your own tried and true methods: Remember to use ones that worked for you in the past and ones you may have gotten away from
- Self-care: Deep breathing, eating healthy, staying active
- Relish the small victories
