Combating Compassion Fatigue for Families and Caregivers of Children with Diverse Needs

Filmed October 2020

Caring for children is frequently exhausting. Parenting children with diverse needs is even more demanding of families, compounded by the need to navigate and advocate across systems. Driven by love, these families are at high-risk of neglecting themselves and developing compassion fatigue. In this 13-part workshop we begin by exploring the “costs of caring” and its potential physical and emotional toll. Then we consider research supported strategies that can empower families and build their resistance to ward off compassion fatigue. Systems supports, self-care, and mindful self-compassion are featured.

Georgina Robinson, PhD, Certified School Psychologist

Principal, Provincial Outreach Program for Autism and Related Disorders (POPARD)

Georgina has a doctoral degree in educational and counselling psychology from the University of British Columbia. She is the Principal of the Provincial Outreach Program for Autism and Related Disorders (POPARD) and is an adjunct faculty member at UBC. Georgina has over 20 years of clinical experience supporting both adults and children and is committed to supporting caregivers who are at risk for compassion fatigue.

Georgina has had training, supervision and experience and is considered a qualified teacher in several evidence-based mindfulness-based interventions including Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT; Oxford University Mindfulness Centre) and Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC, Center for Mindful Self-Compassion). Georgina’s work with families who have children with ASD is informed both by her professional qualifications as well as her lived experience as a parent of two boys, one with ASD.

Part 1: Introduction & Setting the Stage

Topics Covered: 
  • Caregiver stress and coping
  • Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory (stress is influenced across systems)
  • Identifying your sources of stress

Part 2: Identifying Stressors

Topics Covered: 
  • Stressors identified by caregivers of children with disabilities
  • Stigma and shame

Part 3: Compassion/Caregiver Satisfaction & Compassion Fatigue

Topics Covered: 
  • What is compassion and compassion fatigue?
  • Identifying where you are on the stages of compassion fatigue

Part 4: Symptoms of Compassion Fatigue & Protective Factors

Topics Covered: 
  • Caregiver reslience
  • Protective factors across systems
  • Benefits of family-centered care

Part 5: Parent to Parent Supports & Characteristics of Resilient Parents

Topics Covered: 
  • The benefits of parent to parent support
  • The Parent perspective from: The Institute of Families for child and Youth Mental Health (Family Smart)
  • Learning to Let it Go (video)

Part 6: Characteristics of Resilient Parents

Topics Covered: 
  • Social supports
  • Resilient ways of thinking and behaving
  • Awareness and Mindfulness
  • Identifying your protectors

Part 7: Components of Self-Care

Topics Covered: 
  • Why consider self-care
  • Caring for the body (physical)
  • Nurturing relationships (social/interpersonal)
  • Managing and appreciating your work

Part 8: Components of Self-Care (cont’d)

Topics Covered: 
  • Managing and appreciating your work (cont’d)
  • Making time for what’s important to you (personal)
  • Minding your mind (Psychological/Emotional)
  • Thnx4: Online, shareable gratitude journal

Part 9: Learning to Appreciate What You Already Have

Topics Covered: 

Part 10: An Introduction to Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC)

Topics Covered: 

Part 11: Practicing Mindfulness in Daily Life

Topics Covered: 
  • What is mindfulness?
  • Contrast with mindlessness
  • Sense and savour: The calming power of nature
  • Daily pleasant experiences tracker

Part 12: Making Time for Self-Compassion

Topics Covered: 

Part 13: Model of Emotion Regulation

Topics Covered: 
  • Paul Gilbert’s model of emotion regulation
    • Drive system, soothing system, and threat system
  • Responding to yourself with kindness
  • Affectionate breathing practice

 

Questions about the presentation or MSC?

 Visit Dr. Georgina Robinson’s site Mindful Self-Compassion for Life.

 

Where to Learn More About Mindful Self-Compassion

Selected Sources of Research on Mindfulness-Based Intervention (MBI)