COUC 500 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY Benchmark Counselor Impairment and Wellness Paper Assignment _2021.pdf

IMPAIRMENT AND WELLNESS PAPER 1

Benchmark Counselor Impairment and Wellness Paper Assignment

School of School of Behavior Science, Liberty University

April 25, 2021

IMPAIRMENT AND WELLNESS PAPER 2

In this paper it will be discussed the difference levels of impairment, definition of impairment

and explanation with how and why counselors become impaired. Impairment comes in many

and discussed to include goals and life changes.

IMPAIRMENT AND WELLNESS PAPER 3

Benchmark Counselor Impairment and Wellness Paper Assignment

Define Impairment

Counselor impairment can be defined as one’s failure to manage personal stress, mental

health, substance abuse and medical issues which interfere with professional functioning, posing

a hazard to client safety [ CITATION Sim20 \l 1033 ]. Impairment can arise or has the potential

of arising from any complications form the areas on the Wheel of Wellness, nevertheless

different phases of impairment often enter awareness as counselors began to feel compassion

stress or eustress. The burnout phase has the potential to erode a therapist’s confidence in self as

well as others [ CITATION DrW16 \l 1033 ]. Counselors have a substantial risk for burnout due

to the nature of the counseling occupation, however, one of the uppermost contributors to

counselor burnout is the inability of counselors to diagnose the indicators of burnout within

themselves. If a therapist has their character wrapped up in their work, it may perhaps generate

the need for the counselor to work abundantly harder just to feel accomplished and or significant.

This frequently is at the expense of one’s self-care in the counseling profession.

Compassion fatigue is often described as one more degree of impairment, like burnout,

its frequently linked with human service individuals. While there maybe some comparable

features and indicators between burnout and compassion fatigue, is significantly different

even tougher in a vain attempt to lift self-esteem and self-importance.

Secondary Trauma is noted as an impairment too and can be well-defined as the

emotional pressure that happens from hearing first-hand accounts of traumatic experiences

[ CITATION Sim20 \l 1033 ]. This practice can become a great foundation of pressure for

psychotherapists, as high level of psychological energy is expended with little to no exchange

likely in return. Over time, secondary trauma could rise to vicarious trauma, usually defined as

the steady building of emotional residue due to constant exposure to accounts of traumatic

experience. Therapists experience vicarious trauma as a type of emotional trauma subsequently

from caring. Vicarious trauma regularly corresponds with feelings of burnout and compassion

fatigue, as energy, motivation, compassion and empathy are diminished over time. On a severe

inability for the counselor to say “no” are top reasons why counselors do not preform self-care.

Implications of Impairment

relationships with Former Clients. One of the Florida State Statues violated is section

491.009(1)(k), Florida Statues (2018) subjects a licensed mental health counselor to discipline

for committing any act upon a patient or client which would constitute sexual battery or which

would constitute sexual misconduct as defined pursuant to s.491.0111. This appeared several

times during the list but much more than I would have thought. In my mind it was the most

severe as the counselor’s license was permanently revoked from the state [ CITATION Flo211 \l

1033 ].

Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.), Rule 64B4-10.002(1) defines sexual misconduct as

engaging, attempting to engage, or offering to engage a client in sexual behavior, or any

behavior, whether verbal or physical, which is intended to be sexually arousing, including

and this board decides the penalties associated with the violations of the F.A.C. On this particular

case the board can issue one or more of the following: a revocation of the respondents’ license,

Impairment Prevention

cognizant awareness of daily choices that either contribute to continued wellness or increase the

potential for impairment [ CITATION Sim20 \l 1033 ]. To improve counselor wellness Witmer

and Young (1996) suggested education programs to inspire comprehensive wellness

encompassing intellectual, emotional, physical, occupational, social and spiritual components.

Intellectual wellness allows the counselor to be open to new ideas and enhances critical thinking,

opening a path to resources, insights, skills and knowledge that can enhance the quality of life for

the counselor.

Emotional Wellness Practices encompasses the counselor to be mindful and the ability to

manage the full range of emotions through self-regulation both positive and negative. A

counselor’s ability for self-compassion is a serious component of their self-care, it is a way we

provide an outlet for stress reduction, boost innovative ideas and increase coping skills.

IMPAIRMENT AND WELLNESS PAPER 7

Social wellness practices concentrate on emerging and continuing healthy social

networks such as in families, friendships, and intimate relationships. Social wellness also

includes the capacity to hold onto your individual belief system while keeping an open and

relaxed attitude to interact with others who may be culturally different. Lastly spiritual practices

improve a sense of meaning in life, preservation against the cynicism and hopelessness that can

go with a client’s story.

incorporate other categories. Secondly occupational wellness is at top of my list as well, based

on recreation and leisure activities I currently do it has been able to provide numerous benefits

for me. Currently, I enjoy being outdoors with my family and friends doing several differnt

activities from boating to trail hiking to swimming in the pool. For this family there is no

shortage of work, recreation and or leisure activities, sometimes though I feel we do to much and

it works against me. I feel I could afford to lessen this from time to time to allow for other

wellness practices that I currently don’t do.

An area I feel needs more attention in my life would be my spiritual wellness practices.

The recognition of the higher power has fallen from time to time due to unforeseen life

circumstances over the last several years. I feel as a counselor with a Christian worldview I have

to improve my spiritual wellness not only for myself but for my clients as well. Mindfulness as a

activities. Some areas outside regular religious life for me could be regular spiritual volunteer

services, spiritual retreats, meditation and nature walks. With this change it should allow for

myself to better serve my clients and myself through spiritual wellness.

What steps are you willing to take to reach your goal of implement needed changes?

I feel I can use the SMART Goals to help implement the needed changes of spiritual wellness.

Starting with S; specific, what will be accomplished? Attending regular organized worship

services; What actions will I take? I will act to better prepare myself on Sunday’s to attend

worship services. M-Measurable, What data will measure the goal? The data will be done by

analyzing the number of opportunities I have to attend service throughout the month by the

amount I actually attend services. A-Achievable, is the goal doable? Do you have the necessary

work, family and school to see what I can achieve. I feel when some things allow for more time

such as when I graduate from my master’s program I would then be able to devote some more