CT Self-Care & Compassion Fatigue Flashcards

Burnout in grief professionals is distinguished from compassion fatigue primarily by its:

Answer: Gradual development from chronic workplace stress, frustration, and disillusionment

Burnout develops gradually from chronic occupational stressors like excessive workload and lack of autonomy, while compassion fatigue stems specifically from the empathic cost of caring.

The concept of 'countertransference' in grief counseling refers to:

Answer: The counselor's emotional reactions to a client, influenced by the counselor's own unresolved issues

Countertransference involves the counselor's own conscious or unconscious emotional responses to a client, which can be influenced by the counselor's personal grief history and unresolved losses.

Which ethical principle is most clearly violated when a grief counselor develops a romantic relationship with a current client?

Answer: Non-maleficence and professional boundary standards

Romantic relationships with current clients violate non-maleficence and professional boundary standards because they exploit the power differential inherent in the therapeutic relationship and cause harm.

The 'helper's high' phenomenon experienced by death-work professionals refers to:

Answer: The emotional reward and sense of meaning derived from effectively supporting grieving individuals

The helper's high is a positive experience of satisfaction and purpose that grief professionals feel when effectively supporting clients, serving as a protective factor against burnout.

According to ADEC's Code of Ethics, what are thanatology professionals required to do when personal issues arise?

Answer: Engage in self-reflection and seek consultation when personal issues may interfere with practice

The ADEC Code of Ethics requires professionals to recognize when personal issues affect their work and to actively seek appropriate consultation or supervision to protect client welfare.

Effective workload management for thanatology professionals primarily involves:

Answer: Limiting the number of active bereaved clients at one time to prevent emotional overload

Limiting active caseload size helps prevent emotional overload and compassion fatigue by ensuring practitioners retain adequate emotional resources for each client relationship.