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Weems J Wellness Assessment Final
Orientation to Counseling Professional Identity (Liberty
University)
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Running head: WELLNESS ASSESSMENT AND PLAN 1
Wellness Assessment and Plan
Jimmy R. Weems
Liberty University
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WELLNESS ASSESSMENT AND PLAN 2
Abstract
Life is a many splendid thing. There are a lot of products and procedures that people are
purchasing to help them stay young looking. It appears that no one wants to grow or look old.
Plastic surgery is very popular, not only among the movie stars but the locals are buying into the
merchandising of plastic surgery as well. There could be a direct correlation between feeling
young, looking young and being young. Wellness could be a contributing factor to good health.
Wellness seems to be at the forefront of a lot of people minds more now than ever. The health
food craze is almost everywhere you look. Organic food, vegan diet, exercise, gym
memberships, and yoga, etc. are some of the things people are doing to keep their bodies well.
Wellness has not always been a priority. There are many things that could be a contributing
factor to failing health and shorter lives. Stress it has been said is the silent killer. There are
many things that could be the cause of stress and it not be realized. In addition, we do not
associate these things with stress. In this paper, I will examine the results of the Stress Reactions
Inventory (SRI), the Self-Care Assessment, the Self-Care Life Pie Worksheet and the Self-Care
Social Support Worksheet. I will do a personal assessment and wellness strategy. Identifying the
stress factors and initiating a wellness strategy is going to be the antidote for a longer life and
healthier living.
Keywords: stress reaction inventory, self-care assessment, self-care life pie
worksheet, self-care social support worksheet.
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Wellness Assessment and Plan
Stress became a part of the American vocabulary in the 1960s [ CITATION Gra191 \l
1033 ]. Discovering stress to be the benefactor to many health-related illnesses i.e. heart diseases,
heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure, etc., prompted an interest in people on how to manage
with the everyday confrontation of stress (Tubesing, 1981 as cited by Granello & Young, 2019).
Stress has been labeled the “silent killer” by some. Taking precautions to reduce and avoid stress
can lead to healthier physical and mental health.
Personal Assessment
A Stress Reaction Inventory (SRI) was developed to assess the impact of compassion
fatigue, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress. This model was developed from information
obtained from “Preventing Secondary Traumatic Stress Disorder” by J. Yassen in Compassion
Fatigue (1995); “Examples of Compassion Fatigue Burnout symptoms” (Internet 1999); Critical
Incidents Stress Management Training handout (1996). The SRI covered cognitive, emotional,
behavioral, spiritual, interpersonal, and physical areas that could be conducive to stress. What
were your results of the Stress Reactions Inventory? The instructions for the SRI was to place a
checkmark next to the items that applied to you if you had experienced them in the past two
months.
Cognitive. The cognitive section of the SRI contained nineteen items listed and of the
nineteen items listed, there were fourteen (73%) applicable to me. Many of the items were not
job related. Items like diminished concentration, confusion, loss of meaning, decreased self-
esteem, apathy, rigidity, disorientation, thoughts of self-harm or harm to others, self-doubt,
perfectionism, poor decisions, poor abstract thinking, memory problems, heightened or lowered
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alertness. The item(s) that stood out most to me was memory problems diminished concentration,
and confusion.
Emotional. There were twenty-one items in the emotional section and of the twenty-one
there were sixteen (76%) items checked. Emotional items included, powerlessness, anxiety, guilt,
anger/rage, survivor guilt, shutdown, fear, helplessness, sadness, emotional roller coaster,
overwhelmed, depleted, denial, inappropriate emotional response, and apprehension.
Behavioral. There were sixteen items in this section. Of the sixteen items, seven (44%)
was checked. Withdrawn, moody, sleep disturbances, and appetite changes are the items that
supersedes the other items.
Spiritual. There were ten items listed and I only checked three (30%) of them.
Questioning the meaning of life, loss of purpose, and lack of self-satisfaction were the items I
checked. I often ask myself, “what am I here on earth for?” So many days I feel like I do not
have a purpose. I know what I love to do and even that feels unfulfilling at times. In the midst of
it all, I keep telling myself the purpose will become clearer.
Interpersonal. There were nine items in this category, and I checked five (55%) of them.
Items checked were, withdrawal, mistrust, intolerance, loneliness, increased interpersonal
conflicts. All of these are about equal in weight.
Physical. Of the twenty items listed in this category, I marked ten (50%) of them.
Sweating, rapid heartbeat, aches and pains, thirst, headaches, visual difficulties, chills, and
grinding teeth. Grinding teeth would be the top item for the most frequent occurrence next to
aches and pains and headaches.
These items in all the categories checked could be stress related. There could also be
other underlying factors for the results. In either case, as the results of each category was
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examined, I evaluated my wellness regime. There are areas in each category that could use
improvement.
In what ways do you see your results reflecting your current life?
Looking at the results of SRI, I see a reflection of my current life. The items checked
were not being associated with burnout, compassion fatigue, exhaustion, or stress. In my mind I
thought I was dealing with the everyday challenges of life with little or no problem. The
frequency of the items checked in each category brought the realization that these thoughts and
actions are occurring more regular than being realized.
What were your results of the Self-Care Assessment, Self-Care Life Pie Worksheet,
and Self-Care Social Support Worksheet?
Self-Care Assessment. The self-care assessment consisted of six categories; physical
self-care, psychological self-care, emotional self-care, spiritual self-care, workplace or
professional self-care, and balance [CITATION Saa96 \l 1033 ]. In all the categories, I can
detect plenty of room for improvement.
Physical self-care. All work and no play are not good. There needs to be prevention
medical doctor visits. Getting the proper rest, taking vacations, going to a day spa, putting the
phone down for a period of time can aide in reducing stress and increasing wellness.
Psychological self-care. There is much needed improvement in this area. Making time
for self-reflection is a necessity. Expanding reading to literature that is not work related. Taking
a break from the things I have mastered and challenging myself in things I am not an expert in.
Saying no to extra responsibilities, along with the afore mentioned items, can be a conduit for
wellness.
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Spiritual self-care. Making time for reflection is always good. It gives a measure of
where I am. Being able to set goals and reflect on what was done right and what was done wrong
can lessen the burden of stress. Spend more time with nature will give an appreciation of how
great life can be.
Workplace of professional self-care. I need to get regular supervision, negotiate my
needs, and develop a non-trauma area of professional interest. Balance must be created between
work-life, work day, family, relationships, play and rest. The self-care assessment worksheet
has shown me the areas I need improvement.
Self-Care Life Pie Worksheet. The results of the self-care life pie worksheet were not a
surprise to me. My time was divided between work, church, family, learning, and leisure (rest
and relaxation). Most of my time is spent doing something church related. If I am not at work,
then I am at church. Even the vacations are at church conferences. So, it is really not a vacation.
Self-Care Social Support. There were only four names I listed in this assessment. They
were Wayne Mack, Ronnie Roberts, John Smith, James Ware, and Nita Weems. When I think
about the emotional support, I have to admit my wife (Nita), has always been there for me. Even
when I was not the best husband. If it were not for Wayne Mack and James Ware, I don’t even
know where I would be right now. They helped me through a very trying time early in my
Christian walk. I really saw what real Christianity meant from another perspective by these two
men. I can always count on Wayne, James, and Ronnie, for informational support.
In what ways do you see your results reflecting your current life?
After reading chapter 13 of Granello and Young (2019) book, it is a lot to take in when
speaking about wellness. Maintaining a healthy diet can lead to wellness. Two things I have done
the majority of my life is work and go to church. When the opportunity presents itself for
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downtown, I usually end up in church somewhere. When I was growing up my parents did not
allow us to participate in a lot of extracurricular activities. They considered it worldly and the
church had to put a difference between it and the world. My wife (Nita) even tells me, we don’t
ever do anything or go anywhere. If it is not related to church, we don’t do it. Home and church,
that is all we do. I want to do more than be sitting in a church all of my free time. To be honest,
spending so much time in church does not bother me. That is all I knew growing up so that is
what has been instilled in me. I have to have balance. I understand that. Striving for balance
among work, family, relationships, play and rest.
Wellness Strategies
What areas of your life need more or less attention? Having the proper balance is a
focus area. Tilted too far to the right or left can be problematic. The ability to say no to more
requests, I believe will help bring the balance much needed. Another area that needs more
attention is the companion support. There is a need for a larger circle of support. Being cautious
of people is one of the reasons my circle of support is not that large. I do not need that much
attention when it comes to spiritual support.
What changes do you need to make? Being intentional and staying focused on those
areas of concern in the Stress Reaction Inventory. Discovering the way to take one day at a time
and be thankful for the life and family I have been blessed with. The anxiety of unfulfillment can
come when you compare yourself and your life with that of another. I need to stop over-
analyzing which causes anxiety, fear, helplessness, sadness, etc.
What steps are you willing to take to reach your goal of implementing needed
changes? Reassessing what things are important and what things are not important will help
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reach my goal of implementing needed changes. Planning vacations and week-end getaways,
having a date night with the wife, no more paralysis by analysis, spending more time in nature,
fishing, golfing, riding motorcycles, etc. In addition, as afore mentioned, being intentional and
staying focused will be the key to attaining all goals set on this wellness journey.
Conclusion
John writing to his friend Gaius said, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in every
way and [that your body] may keep well… (3 John 1:2, AMP). Wellness and health are
important. It is important for me as a counselor in training to practice wellness on every level.
That speaks to wellness in the cognitive, emotional, behavioral, spiritual, interpersonal, and
physical areas of my life (SRI, 2019).
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References
Granello, D. H., & Young, M. E. (2019). Counseling Today: Foundations of
Professional Identity. New York: Pearson.
Replenish The Well An Experience In Self-Care. (2019, February 28). Retrieved
from https://www.creating-joy.com/PDF/ACA_taskforce_socialsupport.pdf
Saakvitne, K. W., Pearlman, L. A., & Staff of TSI/CAAP. (1996). Transforming The Pain. New
York: Norton.
Stress Reaction Inventory. (2019, February 28). Retrieved from Creating-Joy.com:
https://www.creating-joy.com/taskforce/PDF/ACA_taskforce_stress_reaction_inventory
