Breathing Words Slowly: Creative Writing and Counselor Self-Care—The Writing Workout

Abstract

Professional counselors work daily with compassion and connection, yet must also manage trauma and pain. Clients' stories of loneliness, fear, abuse, and anger frequently fill the landscape of a counselor's work. Counselors may experience burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma by failing to recognize and adequately address the negative emotions and thoughts they may unintentionally carry from their work. By prioritizing and attending to self-awareness and self-care, counselors maintain their clinical efficacy and personal well-being. This article presents creative writing as a valuable self-care technique, offers a writing structure for counselors to use, and includes two brief illustrations of creative writing that promote self-care.