Self-Care in Social Work, 2nd Edition

Earn 6.5 CEUs for reading this title! For more information, visit the Social Work Online CE Institute.

Going beyond clichéd self-help advice, Self-Care in Social Work applies a cognitive coping framework to social work activities to support practitioners in preventing or reducing burnout, secondary trauma, and vicarious trauma. This framework is woven into chapters devoted to self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-efficacy, applying social work skills to the practitioners themselves. Further, the authors posit that it is the responsibility of supervisors and organizations to ensure social workers’ well-being and emotional safety. Whereas most self-care strategies encourage individuals to engage in activities that enhance their health and well-being, such as exercising, eating well, sleeping more, getting massages, meditating, or taking bubble baths, this book also recognizes the importance of the person-in-environment framework in shifting our thinking about self-care.

Now in its second edition, Self-Care in Social Work includes current research on the impact of stress, burnout, secondary trauma, and vicarious trauma. Self-compassion is presented as a tool for self-regulation, alongside material on cognitive reframes, mindfulness, and balanced use of empathy. Finally, this edition features a new chapter focused on traumatic stress related to racism and oppression, with contributions from experts on culturally relevant approaches to self-care. For social workers, counselors, and mental health professionals who struggle with exhaustion and are at risk for burnout, Self-Care in Social Work provides insight, inspiration, and hope.