Director of Clinical Training Dallas Children's Advocacy Center
Throughout the day, we craft narratives about events as we think they may unfold, as they are unfolding, and as they have unfolded. These narratives accumulate to define the meaning we assign to our work and what we have learned as we progress through our careers. Yet, in the day-to-day business and heaviness of our work, we often fail to pause to examine the content of these narratives and how it affects our well-being, the ability to do our work, and our workplace culture. Yes, working in child abuse requires a “special kind of person;” it also requires skill, because if left untouched, what we see and hear can destroy us. This presentation will explore the conscious narrative (e.g., assigning meaning to your story) skill domain of the Components for Enhancing Career Experience and Reducing Trauma (CE-CERT) model developed by Brian Miller, Ph.D. Participants will be able to examine and adjust the narratives they tell themselves and others about their work as one step toward sustaining them in their important careers and reducing their risk of secondary trauma and burnout.
Learning Objectives:
Explain the connection between our narratives and our well-being.
Use the three components of a sustainable narrative to transform unsustainable narratives into sustainable ones.
Recall the two questions that must be answered accurately for optimal performance during stressful moments and to reduce the risk of burnout following stressful moments.
