Practical Self-Compassion for Frontline Workers
Tracks
Monarch - In-Person Only
| Tuesday, March 4, 2025 |
| 10:55 AM - 11:25 AM |
| Monarch Room |
Overview
Dr Sadhbh Joyce, Mindarma and The Black Dog Institute/UNSW
Presenter
Dr Sadhbh Joyce
Senior Psychologist & Co-Founder
Mindarma and The Black Dog Institute/UNSW
Practical Self-Compassion for Frontline Workers
Presentation Overview
This workshop aims to provide expert insights and practical strategies to support frontline workers (and those supporting frontline workers) develop their own self-compassion practise.
The workshop will cover the following:
- Neurophysiology of Self-Compassion
- Barriers to Self-Compassion
- The relationship between Self-Compassion & Self-Care
- Recognising and Understanding Empathic Distress
- Holding space for ourselves when working in service
- Key Self-Compassion strategies for frontline workers (experiential practises)
Self-Compassion plays a key role in protecting long-term mental health and wellbeing (Neff 2023;Neff & Germer; 2018; Gilbert 2014). Importantly, Self-Compassion helps us to recognise, process and safely integrate challenging emotions and experiences. Self-Compassion refers to the ability to offer genuine kindness, care, warmth and support to our mind, body and experience. It fosters a sense of connection and belonging. Compassion emerges as a genuine desire to alleviate suffering in others and ourselves. Those working in service-to-others occupations (e.g. emergency services/frontline health), are particularly adept at offering compassion to others yet may struggle to extend the same level of care and compassion to themselves. In turn, this can impact their ability to engage with regular self-care and may undermine their sense of worthiness and wellbeing. Self-Compassion may be particularly beneficial for frontline workers who are known to be at greater risk of Empathic Distress Fatigue (EDF) (Hoffmeyer et al. 2020;Singer et al., 2014;Klimecki et al., 2013). EDF refers to a sense of emotional exhaustion, burnout and psychological distress that can emerge for those who frequently witness or support others in distress (Hofmeyer et al., 2020;Cocker & Joss 2016). Research has found that Self-Compassion can play an important role in protecting against and reversing the impact of EDF. Self-Compassion activates specific neurological pathways collectively referred to as the caregiving/compassion network which has a calming and soothing impact on our nervous system.
Presentation Key Learnings:
1. How Self-Compassion protects mental health on the frontline
2. Understand the neurophysiology of Empathic Distress
3. Discover practical Self-Compassion strategies proven to bolster wellbeing and protect mental health (experiential practises)
The workshop will cover the following:
- Neurophysiology of Self-Compassion
- Barriers to Self-Compassion
- The relationship between Self-Compassion & Self-Care
- Recognising and Understanding Empathic Distress
- Holding space for ourselves when working in service
- Key Self-Compassion strategies for frontline workers (experiential practises)
Self-Compassion plays a key role in protecting long-term mental health and wellbeing (Neff 2023;Neff & Germer; 2018; Gilbert 2014). Importantly, Self-Compassion helps us to recognise, process and safely integrate challenging emotions and experiences. Self-Compassion refers to the ability to offer genuine kindness, care, warmth and support to our mind, body and experience. It fosters a sense of connection and belonging. Compassion emerges as a genuine desire to alleviate suffering in others and ourselves. Those working in service-to-others occupations (e.g. emergency services/frontline health), are particularly adept at offering compassion to others yet may struggle to extend the same level of care and compassion to themselves. In turn, this can impact their ability to engage with regular self-care and may undermine their sense of worthiness and wellbeing. Self-Compassion may be particularly beneficial for frontline workers who are known to be at greater risk of Empathic Distress Fatigue (EDF) (Hoffmeyer et al. 2020;Singer et al., 2014;Klimecki et al., 2013). EDF refers to a sense of emotional exhaustion, burnout and psychological distress that can emerge for those who frequently witness or support others in distress (Hofmeyer et al., 2020;Cocker & Joss 2016). Research has found that Self-Compassion can play an important role in protecting against and reversing the impact of EDF. Self-Compassion activates specific neurological pathways collectively referred to as the caregiving/compassion network which has a calming and soothing impact on our nervous system.
Presentation Key Learnings:
1. How Self-Compassion protects mental health on the frontline
2. Understand the neurophysiology of Empathic Distress
3. Discover practical Self-Compassion strategies proven to bolster wellbeing and protect mental health (experiential practises)
Biography
Sadhbh is the Principal Psychologist, and Meditation Teacher at Mindarma. She has experience across clinical, academic, and industrial settings. Sadhbh is an External Fellow at the Black Dog Institute / UNSW Medicine and has over 18 years’ experience working in mental health. She has provided evidence-based therapy to frontline workers struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, bereavement and workplace injury. Sadhbh is passionate about evidence-based programs that take a compassionate and holistic approach to mental health. In 2021 Sadhbh was awarded the Australian Psychological Society Significant Contribution Award in recognition of her successful translational research.
