Addressing Compassion Fatigue Professional Development Workshop
If you have felt burned out and overwhelmed by the demands of educating young people while supporting their heightened emotional needs due to record high levels of mental health distress you have likely been experiencing compassion fatigue. Also known as vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue results from how we carry the burden of listening to, observing, or experiencing the effects of others’ trauma. This is especially common in workplaces where the people most impacted by trauma are also doing the emotional labor of holding space for others.
This workshop will create space to decompress for those experiencing compassion fatigue as well as identify concrete action items participants can take to address its institutional origins.
Participants will:
- Explore the root causes of compassion fatigue
- Identify triggers and develop an understanding of experiences with compassion fatigue
- Engage in coping mechanisms and strategies to mitigate the effects of compassion fatigue
- Plan for systemic changes that will create more support and address the root causes of compassion fatigue
Included in the training are four lessons you can use – or share with others – right away to ground yourself and identify the signs of compassion fatigue.
- Anxiety Grounding
- Future Focused Prompts
- 3 Steps to Self-Compassion
- Stressed Out
Compassion fatigue is the mental, physical and emotional exhaustion that comes from listening to, observing, or experiencing the effects of others’ distress or trauma. Often the burden of compassion fatigue is exacerbated by intersectionality and falls the heaviest on Black, Indigenous, and people marginalized by their racial identities.
This workshop will introduce participants to self-care practices that center physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellness and help individuals combat compassion fatigue. In addition, acknowledging that self-care is a bandaid, this training points out ways in which institutional or systemic changes can alleviate burdens on workers.
To join us for future trainings, sign up here.
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Taught by our Innovation and Engagement Managers, National Program Directors, National Curriculum Director, and Chief Program Officer, this Addressing Compassion Fatigue Workshop is a two-hour interactive virtual workshop designed for teachers, program staff, counselors, and administrators who work with youth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I receive credits for this professional development?
If your supervising organization approves this professional development to meet CEUs, we can approve documentation that certifies your hours of participation.
Who is the professional development for?
The sessions are designed for educators, administrators, district leaders, youth-serving professionals, counselors, and formal volunteers who work regularly with youth in grades 6–12.
Is this training and the curriculum applicable in coed classrooms and afterschool spaces?
Absolutely. Our training and curriculum were built with the voices of girls and gender-expansive youth at the center, but the impact reaches all youth. Educators and youth professionals consistently use them in mixed-gender classrooms and group settings with great success.
I’m not sure if I’m ready to register, who can answer my questions?
Thank you for your interest in this training. Please fill out this form if you have questions or need additional information to support your registration and our National Engagement Director, Amal Aziz will get in touch with you.
