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Dear Mental Health Practitioners, Take Care of Yourselves: a Literature Review on Self-Care

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Abstract

Stress, burnout, and professional impairment are prevalent among mental health professionals and can have a negative impact on their clinical work, whilst engagement in self-care can help promote therapist well-being. This literature review examines the role of self-care in the promotion of well-being among mental health practitioners. Specifically, empirical research is presented in relation to specific domains of self-care practice, including awareness, balance, flexibility, physical health, social support, and spirituality. Findings from this review underscore the importance of taking a proactive approach to self-care and, in particular, integrating self-care directly into clinical training programs and into the quality assurance processes of professional organizations within the field of mental health.

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    Kirsten Posluns & Terry Lynn Gall

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Posluns, K., Gall, T.L. Dear Mental Health Practitioners, Take Care of Yourselves: a Literature Review on Self-Care. Int J Adv Counselling 42, 1–20 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10447-019-09382-w

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