Social worker self-care

This chapter begins by exploring the relationship between ethics and self-care. It examines the theoretical rationale for self-care, utilizing the Wounded Healer construct, followed by the “occupational hazards” of the profession. Social worker self-care is essential for preventing harm and doing good, and may even prevent ethical violations. Four domains of self-care are commonly noted in the social work literature: physical/biological, emotional/psychological, social/leisure, and spiritual. Social work is unique in that despite the joys and benefits of altruistic work, distinct and difficult challenges remain. The most common of these are referred to as occupational hazards: work-related stress, burnout, secondary trauma, vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and impairment. Self-care is essential to ethical practice. Social work education has a crucial role in educating social workers on the critical nature of self-care. The goal of self-care is to not only decrease anxiety but also create meaning and self-exploration.