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Global Compassion Fatigue_ A New Perspective in Counselor Wellness.
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Global Compassion Fatigue_ A New Perspective in Counselor Wellness.
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● Global Compassion Fatigue: A NewPerspective in Counselor Wellness
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● Explanations of compassion fatigue generally consider the client–counselor
relationship as the primary source of challenges to wellness. Because of the nature of
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the current sociopolitical climate and the increased exposure through media, the
counseling profession should consider expanding the influences on compassion
fatigue related to current events. This article introduces the concept of global
compassion fatigue (GCF), a phenomenon that provides an opportunity for counselor
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self-awareness. Implications for adopting GCF into the counselor impairment literature
include understanding how global events impact counselor development and clinical
practice as well as the importance of maintaining a wellness lifestyle to protect against
its effects. Counselors’ involvement in advocacy and social justice are also explored as
contributors to GCF.
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● Keywords: global compassion fatigue, counselor impairment, advocacy,
self-awareness, wellness
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● Counselors and counselors-in-training (CITs) feel the weight of societal stressors. According to
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the ACA Code of Ethics, “promoting social justice” (American Counseling Association [ACA],
2014, p. 3) is a core value of the counseling profession. Furthermore, because of its impact on
the profession, scholars have declared social justice as the fifth force in counseling (Ratts,
2009; Ratts, D’Andrea, & Arredondo, 2004). Representatives from ACA have acted in
accordance by addressing the federal government’s recent prohibition of specific language
associated with diverse populations (Yep, 2017) as well as releasing a statement of support
shortly after the 2016 presidential election calling on all counselors to remain strong in their
beliefs and actively assist those in need (Roland, 2016). Similarly, the closing keynote speaker
at ACA’s Illuminate Symposium on June 10, 2017, Dr. Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy, encouraged
attendees to take action against human rights offenses through vocal opposition in multiple
, settings, including social media (Meyers, 2017). These positions demonstrate the desired role
of counselors to engage in advocacy and activism for global issues.
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● Natural disasters, threats to civil rights, violence, terrorist attacks, and animal welfare concerns
are simply a few of the powerful issues that humans face as highly social and emotional
beings. Although advocacy is one avenue of handling the emotional unrest related to these
events, the complex nature of counselors’ personal and professional identities presents an
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invitation to consider these sensitive issues currently faced by society. Professional counselor
identity allows counselors to make meaning of their work during these times of strong emotion
(Solomon, 2007). Considering how these events affect both counselors’ and CITs’ personal
lives and clinical practice produces opportunities for counselor professional development and
greater self-awareness. The purpose of this article is to explore global compassion fatigue
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(GCF), a phenomenon related to the human condition and how global events impact
professional counselors and other helpers. This article begins with a review of current
counselor impairment concepts as well as the role of wellness in managing these conditions.
Then, the reader is introduced to GCF and how a review of the literature supports the
examination of this new concept. Next, I provide a detailed conceptualization of the
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phenomenon and implications for the field. Finally, suggestions for future research are
provided.
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● Understanding Compassion Fatigue
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● Compassion fatigue research spans the literature of multiple disciplines, including nursing,
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social work, and counseling (Compton, Todd, & Schoenberg, 2017; Lynch & Lobo, 2012;
Sorenson, Bolick, Wright, & Hamilton, 2016). Counselors typically understand compassion
fatigue as an event occurring as a result of counselor–client interaction. Charles Figley (1995)
first defined the concept of compassion fatigue as “a state of exhaustion and
dysfunction—biologically, psychologically, and socially—a result of prolonged exposure to
companion stress and all that it evokes” (p. 253) and conceptualized it as a response to the
emotional demands of hearing and witnessing stories of pain and suffering. Symptoms of
compassion fatigue include re-experiencing the client’s traumatic event, avoidance of
reminders of the event and/or feeling numb to those reminders, and persistent arousal (Figley,
1995). Researchers carefully note the differences between compassion fatigue, vicarious
traumatization, and burnout (Lawson & Venart, 2005; Meadors, Lamson, Swanson, White, &
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