Caroline Nolan Therapeutics & Training

13/02/2024

Taking care of our own personal needs and energy is the foundation on which our professional lives flourish. We as practitioners are the gold goose. No matter what the modality we work with, the common denominator is the practitioner.
Read more ............

https://www.carolinenolan.ie/blog/why-attending-to-our-personal-basic-needs-is-a-professional-care-practice

06/02/2024

As Spring begins to creep in, nows a good time to consider with fresh eyes what we need to build resilience and wellbeing as professionals moving into the year ahead.

Professional self-care takes time, intention and a willingness to deep dive into our own selves to draw out the necessary elements to coordinate and create a practitioner-care pathway that is unique to you and effective in supporting sustainable self-care for your professional-personal self.

29/09/2022

I will be facilitating an additional Clinical Supervision group from November onwards. This group is for practitioners doing therapeutic work in need of clinical supervision. Monthly, online, limited numbers in line with governing body requirements. Drop me a DM or register interest through link in the bio. 🍂🌻

PS. If your not in need of the clinical piece but interested in group support around yourself and your work, check out our upcoming reflective practice groups 🌺

27/09/2022

I’m Caroline Nolan and I’m a psychotherapist, clinical supervisor and practitioner-care specialist. I support practitioners in the therapeutic, holistic, coaching and allied health professions to provide the highest level of best practice for clients while remaining resourced and resilient within themselves.

Through clinical supervision, reflective practice groups and practitioner care programs, I facilitate a practitioner-centred approach that draws on a wholistic mind-body framework to ensure practitioners can provide their services and supports to clients without sacrificing their own Well-being or burning out.

Having worked as a psychotherapist, clinical supervisor and medical herbalist for 15 years, with a prior background in community development and the allied health professions, I've worked therapeutically with people for more than 20 years. As founder and manager of an integrative health centre, facilitating practitioner from the medical, holistic and therapeutic fields to work alongside each other, I have always valued a wholistic mind-body approach to health and wellbeing. Overall I have directly supported hundreds of clients and practitioners across professions, while facilitating the work for thousands more through the provision of services and support for a wide range of practitioners over the years.
 
What I have learned on my own journey as a practitioner and through supporting others across professions over the years is that practitioner-care is key to both client experience and practitioner resilience and wellbeing.
 
CONTINUED IN COMMENTS 👇👇👇

21/09/2022

A PRACTITIONER-CENTRED APPROACH
Client focused - Patient focused - Person Centred : These are all the terms that underpin our professional practice, regardless of our individual disciplines. And rightly so, as without a focus on client outcomes we risk not only not meeting our clients needs but in fact possibly doing harm.

Where this linear focus on client becomes limiting is when we fail to step back and consider the most important aspect in the delivery of service. THE PRACTITIONER. Without a well resourced and highly functioning practitioner, all the skills, tools, interventions and practices will fall below what our clients deserve, which is best practice.

When the practitioner is placed in the centre of the circle, everyone benefits. As a conduit for the work, without this we leave the most important element on the fringes. When we tend to a mothers needs and ensure they are met, the children will benefit. This analogy works equally with the practitioner-client relationship. To ensure best outcomes, ethical practice and wellbeing for the client, we must endure that the practitioners are prioritised to become resourced and resilient in themselves and their work.

15/09/2022

When we work with people in a supportive role, be it through the therapeutic modalities, allied & alternative health professions or in a coaching or mentoring capacity, the most important resource we have is ourselves. All the tools, techniques , modalities and knowledge we use is nothing without a resourced and resilient practitioner behind it . You are the golden goose!

We all know the importance of self-care, but when we work as practitioners with people, this must be brought to a whole new level. It must become front and central to our practice as the energetic exchange and exposure that happens within our system when working with people in these capacities, leaves us at higher risk of vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue and burnout. Self-care is not just scented candles and bubble bath! And a robust practitioner-care plan must that a wholistic and multi-level approach.

With this in mind, I’ve created the practitioner-care collective in response to what I see as a growing need for targeted, prioritised practitioner-care practices to not only resource practitioners working in an increasing more challenging world, but to ensure that clients across the board are receiving the highest level of service and outcomes through best practices and ethical standards.

If this resonates with you, come join me in the practitioner-care collective, a free group with the focus of continuing this conversation, to be reminded of the need to stay practitioner-centred as well as client centred and to be supported in coming understand what your needs are around this and how to create your own practitioner-care pathway.

LINK TO JOIN THE GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/776526603594656

12/09/2022

Working as a practitioner with clients for the last few years, really gave me an insight into to challenges that people have faced on all levels, and the REAL impact of these challenges, the ones that they wouldn’t like to share too much or admit to! This summer is the first time that I’ve taken the time to reflect on how this last few years has impacted me. And after a very slow paced summer with real down time and rest from my work I've come to realise just how much it has impacted on me. My energy, my mind , my body and my work.

Which led me to think more of why it is, when I'm in the business of wellbeing having worked with 1000's of clients over the last 15years , that it’s so often the case that I consider myself and my own needs last unless I consciously place the intention of self-care front and central!!!????

The truth is that this is a blind spot for many practitioners in the therapeutic, healing and allied health professions. More and more I see practitioners both through my private practice and colleagues and peers struggling with their own balance and wellbeing while providing services and support to clients.

Coming from a psychotherapeutic background alongside working as a medical herbalist with natural healing philosophy, I’ve always worked with my clients from a mind-body perspective. So when it comes to working with practitioners my approach remains the same. I’ve come to understand that the missing link is often the awareness and choice to prioritise our own wellbeing in a structured and supported way as PRACTITIONERS not just people. When working with clients we have a whole additional set of challenges, needs and elements that are not relevant for other people. But until we make the decision to build this intention, in a central way to our practice, it will continue to be an afterthought, and often one that is too little too late.

It’s from this understanding that I am excited to expand what I offer to supports around practitioner-care. Intentional reflective practice on our work and ourselves within the work is key. Practitioner-care as a regular and targeted practice is the foundation. But this is an area that I will be talking about much more, so if you find this resonating with you and your experience as a practitioner, I would love to hear you thoughts below!