Exploring how therapists engage in self-care in times of personal distress.

There is a dearth of research on counsellor self-care in times of personal stress. Working therapeutically with clients whilst facing personal difficulties may lead to stress and burnout for counsellors if adequate self-care is not implemented. This small-scale (n=3) in-depth qualitative study explored counsellor self-care in times of personal distress. The findings highlight lack of information and awareness of the impact of not implementing adequate self-care. None of the participants took any time off work during their times of personal distress and continued with their client work. The findings indicate the value of addressing self-care during training and within day-to-day practice as part of the routine process and content of supervision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]