Читать книгу Theory and Practice of Couples and Family Counseling - James Robert Bitter - Страница 82

Couples and family counseling is intense relational work. It is easy to get absorbed in the problems and lives of the families we see. We feel responsible for them, and at the same time, we know that they are the ones who must cope with and handle the challenges they face. If we get lost in our work, we may begin to take our work home with us: This is a sure way to experience professional burnout. The most effective family practitioners I know have lives of their own. They may have their own families and be raising their own children, but they are also interested in his tory, culture, music, art, or theater, to name a few possibilities. They may exercise or play sports. They may read, write poetry, collect stamps, cook, or have hobbies. They may belong to a church, engage in politics, or coach a little league team. In short, they have lives of their own. More important, they seek to live enriched lives.

Relational practitioners, like other members of the helping professions, cannot divorce who they are from what they do. Who we are and the relationships we form are two of the most important aspects of therapy. How we choose to live has a great deal to do with the kinds of personal and interpersonal support we bring to our work. It is important to ask yourself periodically whether you are living the way you want to live. Do you have more interests than your work? Are the relationships you have with family and friends meaningful? Are you contributing to your community and society in ways that fit you? Do you experience growth and development in your own life? Your life and your work can be recursive, each affecting and supporting the other and providing balance to your life and the experience of being grounded when you work.