Reggie Rodriguez 

Preventing Burnout in
Therapist Intern, CMHC
Caregiving Careers
 Career Development Intervention
(not included in original presentation)

● Target Population: People who hold positions in caregiving careers/occupations. This

presentation was given to social workers at a teen residential home in order to increase their
awareness of potential burnout symptoms they may experience in their job and to provide them
with tangible resources in caring for themselves and the adolescents at the residence.
• Costs: Intervention was provided at no cost to the organization. The organization hosted the
presenter for two hours at their facility, and the presentation served as the content for the team's
weekly meeting. Presenter received network connection, client referrals, and credit for course
requirements. • Printed and hands on instructional materials provided by presenter.
• Evaluation: Surveys were given to attendees to assess presentation style, interest, and beneficial
material. Presentation will be revised according to survey feedback and to each
organization's/population's needs.
 CAREGIVING

• Emotional health of caregiver

• Secondary traumatic stress
• Compassion fatigue 
• Warning Signs 
SENSE THAT ONE
CAN NEVER DO
ENOUGH

(Lipsky & Burk, 2009)

 I eat in a
hurry—I do
everything in
HYPERVIGILANCE/FEAR
a hurry because
I feel like there is
a ticking time
bomb waiting to go
off.   

          -Community activist

(Lipsky & Burk, 2009)
DIMINISHED
CREATIVITY

(Lipsky & Burk, 2009)

INABILITY TO
EMBRACE
COMPLEXITY 

(Lipsky & Burk, 2009)

MINIMIZING
EXPERIENCE

(Lipsky & Burk, 2009)

 I don't have the energy for
anything anymore. It literally
takes all my energy to get up
CHRONIC EXHAUSTION OR
and try to just walk the dog,
PHYSICAL AILMENTS let alone do anything else.
You don't even have energy
anymore for the things you
enjoy doing. Doing anything
else at al just feels like too
much.
  -Domestic Violence Worker

(Lipsky & Burk, 2009)

 INABILITY TO
LISTEN
OR DELIBERATE
AVOIDANCE  

(Lipsky & Burk, 2009)

 "You realize that you have not
heard the last five sentences of
what someone just said, or maybe
you failed to track the behavior in
DISSOCIATIVE MOMENTS front of you; you’re not following
the story at all. Instead you’re
remembering the last injured
animal you couldn’t save or the day
your brother became incarcerated
or the time when your child was
very ill"

                     
                                                  (Lipsky & Burk, 2009)
ANGER/INABILITY
TO  EMPATHIZE 

(Lipsky & Burk, 2009)

ADDICTIONS 

(Lipsky & Burk, 2009)

 GRANDIOSITY

An inflated sense of
importance related to
one's work 

(Lipsky & Burk, 2009)

 FEELING
HOPELESS &
HELPLESS

(Lipsky & Burk, 2009)

 I feel guilty because I can
GUILT  leave at the end of the day
- Housing rights advocate

(Lipsky & Burk, 2009)

 REFLECTION

Red = danger zone

Yellow = warning zone 
Green = good to go 

What are some warning

signs that you may be
experiencing? 
 RESOURCES 

Spiritual  Physical Relational

• Meaning-making model • Exercise • Meaningful connection with
• Community • Sleep others
• Rest • Nutrition • Laughter
• A sense of "togetherness"

Emotional
• Processing & experiencing
emotions instead of avoiding
• Therapy
• Mind-body practices, i.e.
yoga, dancing
Mental
• Meditation
• Finding a creative outlet, I.e.
coloring, gardening, cooking 
RESOURCES