Episode 44 - Self Care Psychology

NRCAC Team Talk

EPISODE SUMMARY:

Sass Boucher and Kate Collier, co-founders of SelfCare Psychology Ltd, bring psychology, awareness, resources, and expertise to frontline workers in supportive roles. In this episode, they discuss the concept of Professional Trauma and Fatigue and how CAC staff and MDT partners can use the Five Pillars of Protection to mitigate the effects of working in the child advocacy field. Join us as we explore these important topics, offering insights and practical advice to help you navigate stress and protect your mental health.

Topics in this episode:

• SelfCare Psychology (3:17)
• Professional Trauma and Fatigue (5:01)
  • Stress
  • Compassion Fatigue
  • Burnout
  • Vicarious Trauma
• Everyday Stress (12:04)
• Resilience (17:50)
• Five Pillars of Protection (23:07)
  • Awareness
  • Supervision
  • Peer Support
  • Trauma Informed
  • Self Care

GUESTS:

Sass Boucher MSc MBACP, counsellor psychotherapist, lecturer and co-founder of SelfCare Psychology, SelfCare Psychology

Sass is a practicing Counsellor and Psychotherapist, working with a wide range of private clients and referrals from health, social care and education settings.

Her MSc research ‘Looking Through a Lens of Terribleness’ explored and aimed to understand professionals’ needs when working with, and listening to, those affected by trauma, this work led to the formation of SelfCare PsycholoWe’ll gy Ltd.

Sass is also a lecturer and practice tutor on the MSc Counselling Psychotherapy course at Keele University. She previously trained as a social work practice educator and worked in specialist domestic abuse services in a variety of roles, frontline support and service management and as a local authority domestic abuse partnership co-ordinator.

Kate Collier, head of learning and development, Black Country Women’s Aid and co-founder of SelfCare Psychology

Kate Collier is practice and development director and co-founder of SelfCare Psychology.

She develops new training and tools and has taken SelfCare Psychology’s training online with the development of interactive live workshops and e-learning.

She has a special interest in early intervention in wellbeing through education for social care and health professionals born out of her personal struggle with professional trauma and fatigue.

Her experience spans training as a social worker and independent domestic violence adviser and designing, delivering and managing services for women facing multiple disadvantages.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES:

• Professional Quality of Life (proQOL): https://proqol.org
• SelfCare Psychology Ltd: https://www.selfcarepsychology.com
• Northeast Regional Children’s Advocacy Center: https://www.nrcac.org
• Regional Children’s Advocacy Centers: https://www.regionalcacs.org

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Disclaimer: This project was sponsored by NRCAC from Grant Award Number 15PJDP-22-GK-03061-JJVO awarded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, OJJDP or NRCAC.