Do you ever find yourself feeling tense before a session? Are you often preoccupied by client stories and experiences long after your work day is done? At times do you feel worn out, overwhelmed and lacking motivation in your work? Following a session have you experienced brief periods of zoning out or even hypervigilance?

It is not surprising to me that you may have said yes to one or more of these questions, as Mayo Angelo and Terence said, “Homo sum, humani nihil a me alienum Pluto,” or “I am a human, I consider nothing human is alien to me”.

I started out as a trauma focused therapist over five years ago, drawing on my reading and research on Vicarious Trauma, Compassion Fatigue and Therapist Burnout, this CPD is specifically designed with Counsellors and Psychotherapists in mind. We will look at what is meant by these terms and consider the often overlooked, yet ever present risk to therapists.

My aim for this brief introduction is to increase therapist awareness, by offering information, encouraging sharing of ideas and some experiential practice, hopefully adding more skills to your therapist self-care tool kit. We will have the opportunity to explore signs and begin to consider ways we can take responsibility for our wellbeing to continue to grow from our client encounters and sustaining our therapeutic work with clients. We will also reflect on our ethical responsibilities regarding self-care.

This event is informal, there is no requirement to bring anything with you, although you are welcome to bring an item of comfort for example a blanket.

Zoe Hilbert (MBACP) began her counselling life in 2014, volunteering as a trauma focused therapist at Vida Sheffield: Eva Therapy Service, working with women and girls who have experienced trauma and abuse. Zoe continues to work in this service in a variety of different roles including group facilitator and trainee supervisor. Zoe also works as psychotherapist in private practice, A Deeper Sense Counselling & Psychotherapy.

Zoe started her counselling training journey in 2001 in various educational settings in Sheffield and qualified as an integrative counsellor and psychotherapist at The Academy: SPACE in 2016. Zoe has also volunteered at Share Sheffield and Pathways in Barnsley. She has always been interested in creative ways of working in practice and in regards to self care.

Zoe Hilbert

Integrative counsellor

A Deeper Sense Counselling & Psychotherapy

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