Leigh Carter, Jeffrey Barnett, Psy.D., ABPP
Essentials of Self-Care and Psychological Wellness in Graduate Training in Psychology
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Graduate training in psychology is for many students the starting point of a lifelong
career devoted to the enhancement and well-being of others. Such training can be both
intensely rewarding and challenging for students as they navigate through the academic,
professional, and personal demands of their lives. In addition to the obstacles that
many practicing psychologists face within the field of psychology, graduate students
in psychology face a unique set of challenges, demands, and stressors including financial
constraints, limited experience in the field, academic demands, and transitions to
multiple field placements and internship, while developments and changes in one’s
personal life are also likely to occur during this stage. Many are at risk for or
currently experiencing distress, problems with professional competence, and symptoms
of burnout as they navigate through their professional and personal lives; having
significant implications both for themselves and those they treat. Inadequate self-care
at any stage of one’s professional journey can have devastating effects for the individual,
for those one cares about in his or her personal life, and for those one serves professionally.
Unfortunately, many graduate students ignore or postpone the practice of self-care,
some thinking it is not necessary at this stage of their career or not allotting time
to engage in self-care practices. The incorporation of ongoing self-care practice
as part of one’s professional identity cannot wait, and therefore is a critical part
of graduate training. As many graduate students struggle to understand the importance
and practice of self-care, graduate training programs can serve a role in the prevention
of problems with distress or professional competence later on in one’s training or
career, as well as play a reparative role for those already experiencing these difficulties.
Graduate training programs can assist in educating, encouraging, and modeling the
importance of self-care and psychological wellness for graduate students so that they
can begin to establish lifelong habits of positive self-care. This poster presentation
will highlight the unique stressors, vulnerabilities, and challenges graduate students
in psychology frequently face. It will additionally provide data on graduate students
in psychology in terms of those experiencing distress and problems with professional
competence, as well as research on how different graduate training programs currently
address self-care and psychological wellness. Furthermore, it will focus on why self-care
and psychological wellness is vital to address and incorporate into graduate training.
Finally, it will present specific, realistic strategies and interventions for graduate
students to begin practicing self-care and for graduate training programs to encourage
and promote self-care and psychological wellness among its students.