4th Edition
The Resilient Practitioner Burnout and Compassion Fatigue Prevention and Self-Care Strategies for the Helping Professions, 4th ed
The Resilient Practitioner, 4th edition, gives students and practitioners valuable tools for creating their own boundaried generosity, a vibrant method for balancing caring for others and caring for oneself.
The new edition builds on the strengths of the earlier editions and incorporates the lived experience of practitioners in the helping, caring, and relationship-intense fields. Readers will find new material in the Architecture of Resilience chapter, a self-care action plan that incorporates SMART goals to increase goal-setting success, and a focus on both individual responsibility and organizational responsibility for burnout prevention and the development of resilience.
The new edition also includes self-reflection exercises in each chapter, a resiliency inventory for practitioners, a strong focus on research, and an accessible writing style. The authors continue to chart a hopeful path for practitioners, one that allows for a high level of caring for others in the helping professions while also artfully caring for oneself.
Part 1
1. Boundaried Generosity as Key: Caring for Others vs. Self-Care
2. Joys, Rewards, and Gifts of Practitioner Practice
3. The Cycle of Caring: Core of the Helping Professions
4. The Elevated Stressors of the Novice Practitioner
5. Hazards of Practice
6. Hemorrhaging of the Practitioner Self
Part 2
7. The Architecture of Human Resilience
8. Sustaining the Professional Self
9. Sustaining the Personal Self
10. Burnout Prevention and Self-Care Strategies of Expert Practitioners
Mary Mullenbach and Thomas M. Skovholt
11. Characteristics of Highly Resilient Practitioners: The Resilient Compass
Jian-Ming (J.H) Hou and Thomas M. Skovholt
12. The Eye of the Storm Model of Practitioner Resiliency
13. The Evolving Practitioner from Early Career Anxiety to Later-Usually-Competency
Thomas M. Skovholt and Michael H. Rønnestad
14. Epilogue
15. Self-Care Action Plan
Biography
Thomas M. Skovholt, PhD, LP, is emeritus professor of counseling psychology at the University of Minnesota and a licensed psychologist in counseling and consulting. He has trained many students and worked with many clients and has seen the power of the helping process benefit people as they address life challenges. Tom is devoted to increasing resilience and reducing burnout for helpers, healers, and educators.
Michelle Trotter-Mathison, PhD, is a licensed psychologist in private practice in St. Paul, Minnesota. Michelle is committed to helping people increase resilience through self-compassion, mindfulness, and shame resilience.
“The authors have created a masterful guidebook for individuals across all helping professions, one that helps sustain a sense of joy in this crucial work.”
Sarah Valley-Gray, PsyD, ABPP, professor and chair of the Department of Clinical and School Psychology, Nova Southeastern University, Florida, USA
“The text reads as if you are having a conversation with a close mentor. In a world that promotes quick ‘self-care,’ Skovholt and Trotter-Mathison provide something deeper. A source of wisdom and comfort, The Resilient Practitioner reminds us we are not alone in the heaviness of the work and provides thoughtful strategies to continue providing care for oneself and, in turn, others.
Chasity Odden Heide, PhD, school counselor, North Dakota, USA
“The Resilient Practitioner is a wonderful book for practitioners in the helping professions. This book offers the best guidance. The authors’ wisdom is striking!”
Ling-Hsuan Tung, PhD, LP, psychologist, Jewish General Hospital, Québec, Canada
“Educators will instantly feel seen from page one of The Resilient Practitioner. I am veteran educator, and this book puts into words the challenges I have faced. I saw both what I am doing right and what I can do to remain healthy and stay in such a demanding relationship intense profession. This should be required reading for all preservice teachers.”
Naomi R. Hall, EdD, The Recovering Educator, New Hampshire, USA
“The fourth edition of The Resilient Practitioner provides four decades of empirical and practice wisdom on self-care, professional thriving, and resilience to those working in relationship-intense professions. This is an accessible and highly recommended book!”
Kenneth Burns, PhD, senior lecturer, social work, University College Cork, Ireland
“Throughout my career, The Resilient Practitioner has been one of my most trusted companions. It’s the one book I always recommend to colleagues, trainees, and even family members in the helping professions. Skovholt and Trotter-Mathison fill these pages with their warmth, wisdom, and insight to help us move towards a more sustainable, fulfilling practice today. The Resilient Practitioner has helped me be a more effective therapist, but also a better husband, parent, and community member.”
Adam Sumner, PhD, licensed psychologist, South Dakota, USA
“I highly recommend The Resilient Practitioner to practitioners at any stage in their career. This skillfully curated treasure trove of theory, practitioner insights, case studies, vignettes and exercises for self‑reflection reads like a good novel and feels like the best peer-supervision session in book form.”
Sally Brown, MBACP, LLB, editor, Therapy Today, London, England
