Seven Principles of Stuttering Therapy: Part 2

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Re: Gratitude & Keeping the Fire Alive

From: Charlie Healey
Date: 20 Oct 2008
Time: 17:44:20 -0500
Remote Name: 76.84.69.211

Comments

Rinda: Thanks for your comments and questions about my paper. I'm not sure I have the magic answer for preventing professional burnout but the thing that has really helped me is to put treatment of individuals in perspective. I think that professionals who get burned out take on too much responsibility of the change in client's behaviors or that it's up to the clinician to do what he/she can to have successful outcome. That puts a lot of stress on the clinician and wanting to help everyone at your their expense is a sure way to get burned out. Not that clinicians shouldn't care about clients but I think we need to recognize that some clients will get better with our help, some without our help, and some will do it on their own. So, my philosophy is to be careful to take on too much of the responsibility for change. I do what I can do to help and hopefully that will be enough. At the end of the day, I have learned to let go of the worry and concern about clients knowing that people will appreciate the help I give and that it's not my job to "fix" them. If clients don't understand that, I make that very clear early in therapy. Your second question had to with clients wanting a therapy that is perhaps ill advised or not typical of what we recommend. I guess I would be upfront with clients and say that the methods they think will work, probably won't have any lasting effect. This has come up with those who have asked my opinion about the SpeechEasy and you saw in my response to one of the principles how I view that. I also have had people say that maybe hypnosis will work. Again, I am upfront about why that is not an effective method of treatment. Thanks again for your questions. Best of luck in the profession!


Last changed: 10/20/08