https://www.irenegreene.com Enhancing Personal, Relational, Professional, and Community Change for Socially Conscious Humans Sun, 12 Aug 2018 20:38:48 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.irenegreene.com/wp-content/uploads/cropped-IreneGreene-Logos-Black-VF-32x32.jpg Irene Greene MSED: Greene Growth & Training https://www.irenegreene.com 32 32 In Light of Orlando II: 7 Self-Care Suggestions for LGBTQ+ Mental Health Workers https://www.irenegreene.com/in-light-of-orlando-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=in-light-of-orlando-2 https://www.irenegreene.com/in-light-of-orlando-2/#respond Sun, 10 Jul 2016 22:29:12 +0000 http://www.irenegreene.com/?p=989 Some thoughts from the Chair of the MN LGBTQ Therapist Network:  For many of us who are LGBTQ+ mental health providers, these weeks since “Orlando” have been intensely emotionally and psychologically draining – on both a personal and professional level. We have been raw with our own pain, PTSD, shock and grief from the tragic events […]

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Some thoughts from the Chair of the MN LGBTQ Therapist Network: 

For many of us who are LGBTQ+ mental health providers, these weeks since “Orlando” have been intensely emotionally and psychologically draining – on both a personal and professional level.

We have been raw with our own pain, PTSD, shock and grief from the tragic events of Sunday, June 12, 2016; only exacerbated by the ongoing subsequent political, religious, familial, and social macro- and micro-aggressions that unsurprisingly followed. “Orlando” epitomizes the day-in and day-out personal and collective violence, rejection, discrimination, invisibility, and injustices caused by homo-hatred, heterosexism, racism, xenophobia, bi-erasure, and transphobia that we in the queer and queer POC communities face each day. We, as LGBTQ+ people, consistently confront these root causes of our collective and personal “Oppression Fatigue.” “Orlando” maximized them to our core.

And yet, as therapists, we still showed up each day since (as best as we could) and have done our work of listening empathetically to the PTSD, grief, fear and anger of our LGBTQ+ clients; and equally attended to the therapeutic needs of our non-queer clients – who may or may not have even mentioned “Orlando.”

This parallel process, clinical hour after clinical hour, can naturally take a toll on us. This toll often results in vicarious trauma. Unattended vicarious trauma of caregivers can develop into “Compassion Fatigue.” Compassion fatigue, (emotional exhaustion and an isolative emptiness of empathy), is already a common “hazard” of our job as mental health providers. It is exponentially more likely and more harmful when it is exacerbated by a trauma that strikes deeply in our own lives and in the communities of our chosen family.

Given these times, perhaps more than ever, taking our own advice and making our self-care a priority is nothing less than imperative. In the name of responsible personal and professional care, I offer these suggestions:

  1. We must not be in denial about how Orlando may be impacting us personally and professionally.
  2. We need to consciously assess our emotional, spiritual and physical well-being.
  3. We must accept our own limitations, take more breaks, and make healthy choices that honor our needs and feelings.
  4. We need to connect with our trusted colleagues, our own therapists or guides, so that we can stay ahead of our own vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue. We in Minnesota are organizing a gathering for LGBTQ+ mental health professionals to address these issues: The Ripple Effects of Orlando: We LGBTQ+ Therapists Need to Take Care of Ourselves, too
  5. We must seek professional consultation about any client counter-transference issues or feelings of burn-out.
  6. We need to request and accept support and care from our friends and loved ones.
  7. I will go a step further and insist that we come out of the clinical boxes we call our offices and take a stand. Despite the fact that many of us therapists are introverts, I suggest that, in whatever way we can, we extend our time, money, vote, voice or effort towards any action that puts a dent in our own oppression and the oppression of our clients.

Compassion fatigue born of oppression fatigue succinctly illustrates the undeniable intersections of “the professional, is the personal, is the political.”

Irene Greene, Chair MN LGBTQ Therapist Network Steering Committee www.LGBTtherapists.org / www.irenegreene.com

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In Light of Orlando https://www.irenegreene.com/in-light-of-orlando/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=in-light-of-orlando https://www.irenegreene.com/in-light-of-orlando/#respond Mon, 13 Jun 2016 11:48:29 +0000 http://www.irenegreene.com/?p=977 An open letter to my LGBTQ friends and colleagues who work and volunteer in the Queer mental health communities: When the hate and violence against our communities is so densely profound, those of us in the helping professions need to take extra care of ourselves and of each other.  In the next several days many of us will […]

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An open letter to my LGBTQ friends and colleagues who work and volunteer in the Queer mental health communities:

When the hate and violence against our communities is so densely profound, those of us in the helping professions need to take extra care of ourselves and of each other. 

In the next several days many of us will support and affirm the reactions, sadness, anger and fear of our LGBTQ clients. Hour after hour, like we always do, we will show up for them as they share their stories and their pain.

This time, though, their pain, anger and fear are our pain, anger and fear; and it is all inter-connected to the deep pain, anger and fear of our collective LGBTQ communities.

Compassion and oppression fatigue present dangerous double risks for minority community members who serve in their own minority communities.

Please, be radical: make intentional time for intentional self-care.

To our allied cisgender and straight colleagues, friends and family: an extra nod of kindness and understanding can go a long way; Of course, your consistent actions towards change, equality and justice can go even farther.

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35 Tips for Wellness https://www.irenegreene.com/35-quick-tips-to-happiness/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=35-quick-tips-to-happiness Mon, 04 May 2015 21:02:12 +0000 http://www.irenegreene.com/?p=726 Remember your past Open up Let it go Cry sometimes Smile more Challenge your fears Trust your wisdom Learn your truth Join yourself Spark joy Risk failure Stretch intently Hydrate often Release passion Dream daily Speak out Listen more Accept reason Claim mistakes Occupy space Question authority Know your privilege Correct injustice Exert integrity Invite […]

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  1. Remember your past
  2. Open up
  3. Let it go
  4. Cry sometimes
  5. Smile more
  6. Challenge your fears
  7. Trust your wisdom
  8. Learn your truth
  9. Join yourself
  10. Spark joy
  11. Risk failure
  12. Stretch intently
  13. Hydrate often
  14. Release passion
  15. Dream daily
  16. Speak out
  17. Listen more
  18. Accept reason
  19. Claim mistakes
  20. Occupy space
  21. Question authority
  22. Know your privilege
  23. Correct injustice
  24. Exert integrity
  25. Invite difference
  26. Be humbled
  27. Embody connection
  28. Judge less
  29. Go with
  30. Share plenty
  31. Sit still
  32. Nurture compassion
  33. Take care
  34. Breathe slowly
  35. Be for today

Irene Greene, MSED is going on 29 years as a psychotherapist, relationship coach, and trainer. She is currently writing two books and works and lives in Minneapolis with her family, garden, two cats, and two fish.

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A Parallel Process https://www.irenegreene.com/a-parallel-process/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-parallel-process Tue, 17 Feb 2015 06:48:16 +0000 http://www.irenegreene.com/?p=326 During each “50-minute clinical hour” I sit in my tan leather therapist chair the five classic feet across the Oriental rug from the embodied brown client couch. After 29 years of doing this work, I view myself as a seasoned, ethical, and skilled psychotherapist – who remains regularly humbled. I have had the honor of […]

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sofaandchairDuring each “50-minute clinical hour” I sit in my tan leather therapist chair the five classic feet across the Oriental rug from the embodied brown client couch.

After 29 years of doing this work, I view myself as a seasoned, ethical, and skilled psychotherapist – who remains regularly humbled.

I have had the honor of witnessing hundreds of adults as they have traveled a portion of their life journey in my presence.

I have heard thousands of stories that have revealed thousands of miles of self-doubt, suffering, strength and survival.

I have sat with hundreds of people for thousands of hours as they have courageously risked more fully understanding themselves and resolutely dedicating themselves to a path directed at being even more of the person whom they want to be.

The therapy process itself, whether lasting hours or years, is for my clients a sort of story inside a life story, a learning inside a learning.

And though often gone unsaid, as their clinician, this is equally true for me.

  • There have been therapy sessions with tender moments of shared tears over a client’s personal success or newly remembered trauma.
  • There have been my pauses of admiration after a client has bravely read aloud of their most shameful regret and deepest loss.
  • There have been connecting times when a client and I have interacted in ways that were enduringly validating for them, as well as quietly therapeutic for me.
  • There have been inspiring transformations witnessed as a client slowly connected life-changing dots right before my eyes.
  • There have been salient dialogues when a client has wisely challenged my feedback for clearly missing their point and the client and I have both learned from my mistake.
  • There have been poignant silences when I am steadfastly holding seemingly the only lifeline of hope for a client who feels stuck in deep despair and depression.
  • There has been that promising stillness after my gentle coaching of a resistant client who then, finally, reached her hand across the couch to her crying spouse and whispered, “I am sorry.”
  • There have been shared belly laughs that I am sure echoed down to the street.
  • There have been mutually rewarding sessions when a client carefully reviewed their therapy goals set months prior, proudly recognized personal growth on all counts, and finally claimed their awesomeness.

I hold deep respect for the privilege to share in another’s journey, and yet, am quite aware that my own journey is being shared as well.

Irene Greene, MSE has been a psychotherapist, speaker and writer for 29 years. She is currently writing two books and works and lives in Minneapolis with her family, garden, two cats, and two fish.

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