LGBTQ Therapists: Political Trauma Stress and Compassion Fatigue

"Our Caring Can Hurt Us: Burn Out, Compassion Fatigue & Oppression Fatigue While Enduring Political Stress Trauma: Self-Care and Wellness for LGBTQAI2S+ Helping Professionals" Saturday, 8/26/1, 830am - 1230pm.

Doing the challenging work that we as LGBTQAI2S+ helping professionals do, while also existing within the current social-political realities of Political Trauma Stress, increases our propensity for stress, burnout, vicarious trauma, compassion and oppression fatigue.

This workshop is an opportunity for LGBTQAI2S+ mental health, medical and social service providers, and other related helpers, to join together to create a safe and confidential space to:
a. Talk about the work that we do and why it can be stressful and draining
b. Political Trauma Stress and the impact of the current political climate on ourselves and those we serve
c. What, if any, activism have you been doing and how have you balanced it with self-care?
c. Discuss the implications for helping folks with their trauma while also experiencing our own
d. Assess our own burnout, vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue challenges and the related "occupational hazards"
e. Understand the dynamics of oppression fatigue and how and why we, as LGBTQAI2S+ folks, experience it personally and professionally. What additional layers of oppression and of privilege do we have?
f. Assess our personal and professional self-care patterns
g. Learn sustainable strategies and proven methods to care for ourselves - personally and professionally.

LGBTQAI2S+ = lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, asexual, intersex, two-spirit, et al

(*Similar workshop for all mental health, medical and social service providers offered in October 2017-see below.)

Facilitated by: Irene Greene MSED / Greene Growth & Training LLC
Location: The Well: Healing Arts Center, 2100 First Avenue South Minneapolis MN 55404

Registration:
Space is limited. Because of the nature of the workshop I keep the participants to about 10 people.
Fee: $80/person. $65 earlybird rate ends 8/1/17. 50% down now. Balance due at door. You must be registered through this Eventbrite site to attend and to hold your spot.
Two ways to pay:
(1) Register & pay at the Eventbrite site. (Eventbrite will add on their fees.)
(2) To avoid the Eventbrite fees, contact Irene for the Eventbrite registration coupon code. To hold your spot you will need to send a check for full payment directly to Irene.
(3) If you need an adjusted fee, contact Irene to make alternate payment arrangements. A deposit is required to hold your spot.

CEU forms to submit to your boards for CEUs will be available. (3.5 to 4 CEUs typically granted.)

Workshop Content Details:
I. share with each other the reasons why we may experience stress, burnout, vicarious trauma or compassion fatigue and oppression fatigue in our professional lives:
- Identify specific reasons for stress in our professional lives
- share our thoughts and feelings about the current social-political climate and how it contributes to our own personal stress and impacts us as professionals
- discuss "Political Stress Trauma" and how our clients' and patients' varied reactions to the social-political climate impact us professionally and personally
- learn about oppression fatigue and its relationship to compassion fatigue for helping professionals
II. understand and identify burnout and compassion fatigue:
- understand the similarities and differences between the concepts of compassion fatigue, trauma grief, vicarious trauma, stress, primary and secondary trauma, and burnout
- understand the real dangers of compassion fatigue: how it is far more serious than "burnout" and why it is an "occupational hazard" for helpers
- explore the many ways that these conditions inevitably impact us as caregivers in the social service, mental health, medical and related helping professions
- understand the psycho-physical impacts that stress, primary and secondary trauma, and oppression have on our mind, body, and emotions and learn concrete proven tips to counter this stress
III. assess our personal and professional self-care patterns and learn new strategies:
- assess our personal and professional self-care
- learn proven methods and assessment tools to identify and heal professional burnout and compassion fatigue
- learn and share concrete self care and stress reducing ideas and strategies to increase our emotional and physical balance, epecially when we are feeling worried, anxious, overwhelmed or adversely impacted by our work
- explore how to implement and sustain these self-care strategies personally and professionally: for ourselves in our eveyday lives and when we are helping our client or patient, and learn how to teach these strategies to our clients/patients.
- Develop "My Personal & Professional Self-Care Plans". These plans are specifically geared towards folks in the helping professionals. You will leave with clearer understanding about the blocks to you taking care of yoursef and concrete self-care plans for your work and home life.

General points about the workshop content and format:
1. In this workshop, our diversity, in all of its forms, is nurtured, valued and celebrated; including, though not limited, to sexual, affectional, gender, spiritual, racial, class, age, educational, employment, size, ability and familial diversity. People who can join in this intention are welcome.
2. It is especially helpful if participants already have some understanding of their own privilege or are open to learning more about it.
3. This workshop will incorporate lecture, group discussion, personal reflection time, and (optional) personal sharing. Folders with hand-outs, worksheets and a bibliography, as well as healthy snacks, water, tea and coffee, will be provided. We will take two short breaks.

Irene Greene MSED / Greene Growth & Training LLC has 29+ years as a therapist, wellness and relationship coach, community organizer, and educator. She is the Chair of the MN LGBTQ+ Therapists Network, a psychological first-aid street medic trainer with North Star Health Collective, provides professional mental health consultation and training, has completed certification training in compassion fatigue, and is a past member of the steering committee for MN Women in Psychology.

Keep the Revolution Healthy! Contact us for more dates or to inquire about a custom-designed workshop for your mental health, medical, social service, non-profit or social justice agency or organization. For Staff, Advocates, Counselors, Students, Psychologists, Social Workers, Community Organizers.

For more information: contact Irene at irene@irenegreene.com
More TRAININGS, WORKSHOPS & GROUPS by Irene:

More information about these trainings, workshops and groups may be found at Eventbrite and at Irene's website:

More Professional Trainings:

"Political Trauma Stress for Our Clients & Us: Burnout, Compassion Fatigue and Oppression Fatigue for Socially Conscious Helping Professionals: Wellness & Self-Care" Friday, 10/6/2017 830am-1230pm: Workshop for socially conscious helping professionals to explore the concepts of burnout, vicarious trauma, secondary victimization, oppression fatigue and compassion fatigue. Come together with like-minded folks to safely share the various reactions to the current social-political climate. Understand the psycho-physical impacts that stress, trauma and oppression fatigue have on our minds, bodies and emotions and our personal relationships. Share and learn how to more effectively manage the stress. Learn concrete self-care and wellness strategies for professional and personal self-care. 3.5-4 CEUs

Radical Self-care & Wellness Workshops:
"Political Trauma Stress & Radical Self-Care: Turn Anxiety, Fear and Anger into Connection, Wellness and Resistance" for socially conscious humans. Sat., 9-1230pm on 9/23/17 $25 and Tues. 12/5 at 6-930pm: Come together with like-minded folks to safely share the various reactions to the current social-political climate. Understand the psycho-physical impacts that stress, trauma and oppression fatigue have on our minds, bodies and emotions and our personal relationships. Share and learn how to more effectively manage the stress. Learn 14 free concrete self-care and wellness strategies. No one turned away for inability to pay.

LGBTQAI2S+ and Allies: Relationship Workshops: (These workshops can be bundled for a reduced rate.)
~~"Balancing Your Needs, My Needs and the Needs of Our Relationship: Communication, Conflict and Connection" Sat., 10/28/17; 9-430pm
~~"Hurting and Healing: When One or Both Partners is a Survivor of Trauma or Abuse" Sat., 11/18/17, 8:30-12:30pm
~~"Maintaining A Strong Relationship While Parenting: For All Family Configurations" Sat., 1/13/18: Sat., from 8:30 to 12:30pm: Open to adults within all types of interpersonal relationships and family compositions. Address co-parenting, blended families, parenting with an "ex" in the picture, being the non-biological parent, fostering, adopting, polyamory. Explore how being a parent impacts the adult relationship(s) and come up with sustainable ways to foster healthy connection and open communication.

14 week SUPPORT GROUPS:
"Women's General Issues Support Group" Mondays, 4-515pm
"Women's Sexual Abuse Survivors' Psycho-educational Support Group" Wed., 430-545pm
"Psycho-educational Wellness Support Groups for Mental Health and Social Justice Workers" Tues, 830-945am and Fri, 12-130pm (Ask your workplace to pay.)
$50/session. Some sliding fee slots. Irene offers these groups up to three times/year.