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Article Excerpt
Individual counselors must work actively to nurture their wellness. The authors review the literature to examine what maintains wellness and what counselors can do to replenish themselves when feeling stressed, distressed, or impaired. The article provides strategies to improve resiliency in the areas of physical, emotional, cognitive, and interpersonal wellness.
A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.
--Lao-Tzu, Tao Te Ching (6th century BC)
Sustaining the counseling profession begins with the efforts of each counselor, and actions taken to promote their individual wellness begin one step at a time. Nurturing wellness and preventing impairment require that counselors take an honest appraisal of their health, balance, and self-care--not once, but continually throughout their careers. "Wellness is both an outcome and a process, at once an overarching goal for living and a day-by-day, minute-by-minute way of being" (Myers & Sweeney, 2005b, p. 9). Wellness involves actively making choices to create and maintain balance and to prioritize health of mind, body, and spirit.
A counselor's wellness provides the foundation for her or his work with clients. Research has consistently shown that the philosophy or theory one follows in conducting therapy is not as important in assisting clients as the person of the counselor. Rogers (1961) stressed that counselors are able to "create relationships which facilitate the growth of others" (p. 56) only to the extent that they have achieved growth in themselves. Counselors need to be aware of transparency, modeling, and their unresolved issues because clients attend not only to counselors' verbal messages but also to their nonverbal behaviors. Working late and being continually available to clients does not model the healthy limit setting that many clients seek to learn. When counselors are obviously tired or physically ill and continue to work, they send a message that one's personal wellness is less important than attending to the needs of others. In contrast, when counselors are committed to self-awareness and the pursuit of their own wellness, they can serve as role models for clients, and their joy can have a "contagious effect" (Miller, 2001, p. 384).
Transforming the wellness of clients and the profession of counseling as a whole comes down to individual counselors taking responsibility for their own health. We (the authors) suggest developing self-awareness and taking active steps to enhance personal wellness. Our article reviews the literature from counseling and the allied professions to examine what maintains wellness and what counselors can actively do to replenish themselves when feeling stressed, distressed, or impaired.
ASPECTS OF WELLNESS AND INTERCONNECTEDNESS
Many different models have been developed to provide a framework for understanding wellness. Body, mind, and spirit are the most commonly recognized areas of wellness. To these three, Halpert Dunn (1961), author of High Level Wellness, stressed the interrelationship between wellness of the body, mind, and environment. Ardell (1977) conceptualized five dimensions of high-level wellness, namely self-responsibility, nutrition, physical fitness, stress management, and environmental sensitivity. Bill Hettler (1976) posited that wellness comprises physical, emotional, spiritual, social, occupational, and intellectual dimensions. "High-level wellness" can be defined as "an integrated method of functioning which is oriented toward maximizing the potential of which the individual is capable" (Dunn, 1961, p. 4). According to Dunn, wellness requires one to maintain "balance and purposeful direction" (p. 5). Individuals who embrace a holistic philosophy of wellness, and who engage in wellness behaviors, report being happier and having a better quality of life than those who do not (Hermon & Hazler, 1999). The Wheel of Wellness model developed by Witmer, Sweeney, and Myers (as cited in Myers & Sweeney, 2005b) includes 12 components of wellness with spirituality at the center. According to the Indivisible Self evidence-based model of wellness, there are 17 factors of wellness, including emotions, leisure, spirituality, and cultural identity, to name a few (Myers & Sweeney, 2005a). Within each factor, there are myriad methods that can promote wellness for counselors. Myers and Sweeney (2005a) described the self as "indivisible"; the various aspects of wellness have unique attributes, yet they are interrelated and all contribute to holistic wellness. An imbalance in one aspect of wellness may contribute to an imbalance in another area, whereas an improvement in the health of one dimension of holistic wellness can contribute to greater overall well-being.
We provide an overview of what we consider some of the most salient aspects of wellness, namely the domains of physical health, emotions, intellect, and interpersonal relationships. Spirituality, another key domain, is addressed separately in Craig Cashwell's (2007) article in this special issue. In each of the sections that follow, we define the domain as we conceptualize it, review research pertaining to this component of wellness, and provide strategies for maintaining health and vibrancy in this area.
Physical Wellness
To sustain wellness and reduce the negative impact of the work, counselors need to take care of themselves physically, get sufficient sleep, eat a nutritious diet, and engage in regular physical exercise (Williams & Sommer, 1995). "Symptoms are a way for your body to say 'Listen to me talk for a change'" (Hammerschlag, 1992, p. 69). When counselors fail to heed the warnings sent by their physical selves, cumulative stress and fatigue can result. Young (2005) noted the positive impact of exercise and nutrition on mood and highlighted the negative impact of caffeine, sugar, and processed foods on anxiety and sleep. Getting sufficient rest is a critical component of self-care, for people are much more vulnerable to getting sick, making poor decisions, and reacting impulsively when fatigued.
Calming the body. Monitoring and deepening one's breathing regularly throughout the workday can assist in maintaining a state of calmness because shallow breathing is "one of the best barometers of stress, anxiety, boredom, and exhaustion" (Domar, 2000, p. 241). Massage has been shown to improve mood, reduce stress, and have a positive impact on immune functions (Hernandez-Reif et al., 2004). Those practicing meditation have experienced improvements in mood and the quality of their sleep, a decrease in their symptoms of stress, and shifts toward healthier immune functioning (Carlson, Speca, Patel, & Goodey, 2003). In a study by Chandler, Bodenhamer-Davis, Holden, Evenson, and Bratton (2001), counselor trainees who participated in "biofeedback-assisted relaxation therapy" were effective in reducing their symptoms of somatization (such as headaches and other physical pains); reported feeling less withdrawn, more confident, and happier; and showed signs of increased relaxation. Progressive muscle relaxation and self-hypnosis can help counselors gain a better sense of control and ultimately assist with issues such as attention, anxiety, and depression (Moss, as cited in Carney & Hazier, 2005, p. 241).
Nutrition. The nutritional needs of individuals vary according to their age, activity level, and other factors. Eating breakfast, developing a regular schedule for meals, drinking plenty of...
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