While working with the writers on this issue, I’ve been thinking about what it means to have empathy and to be a sensitive person – which can be both a strength and a vulnerability. It’s well understood that working with the human condition brings with it the risk of vicarious trauma and burnout, and there’s nothing new about this. But when I spoke to Cloie Parfitt, a former nurse, about her PhD research, she talked about ‘neurodivergent burnout’ and how she had to leave her career in nursing – and this did feel new to me.
It’s a particularly debilitating condition. Cloie now specialises in working with neurodivergent clients, who contrary to popular stereotypes, often have heightened empathy and work in nursing, social work, teaching and mental healthcare. In her article, ‘Are you working with neurodivergent burnout?’ she highlights the numbers of caring professionals who leave their work because of it. Given workforce shortages in these areas of our public services, it’s something that should concern us all. It left me wondering, how well is the therapy profession and workplace practitioners supporting our neurodivergent client carers? I’d be interested in your thoughts.
People’s stories about why they do what they do, and the conscious and unconscious processes which draw us to our work, always fascinate me. So, it was my pleasure to talk with Remi Omole, the Lead Chaplain at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust in 'My workplace', about what it means to be a chaplain working in a healthcare setting and living in a secular society. It’s challenging work. Much like workplace therapists, chaplains can wear a number of hats while offering person-centred care to patients, families and carers, NHS staff, volunteers and students. Importantly, the chaplaincy team are a part of the Trust’s frontline response to crisis situations, providing support for people in distressing and traumatic situations, when they are at their most vulnerable, including diagnosis of life-threatening conditions and end-of-life care. Little wonder it can take its toll.
It’s just one reason why it’s so important that employees (wherever they are in the organisation) have somewhere or someone who can be trusted to offer a sense of safety. Sarah Markham is a clinical psychologist and leads the staff support service at the Trust where Remi works. She’s written before in BACP Workplace on her previous role providing resilience-based clinical supervision to nurses and healthcare workers. Here in 'Working with the chaplains' she shares her rewarding experience of working with the chaplains to encourage greater compassion for self and one another – and the positive impact it has on wellbeing.
And finally, self-identified ‘sensitive’, Elena Amber talks to me on about her new book The Gift of Sensitivity. Offering new insights into the potential power of sensitivity, Elena argues that at a time of global and environmental turmoil, the sensitives are needed more than ever to step up, lead and be role models as we need a new way of being. I hope you enjoy this issue.
Nicola Banning
Editor, BACP Workplace
workplaceeditor@bacp.co.uk
