Emerging from the Pandemic: The Ongoing Importance of Counselor Self-Care
Presented by: Richard Yep, CAE, FASAE
2 Hours / 2 CEs
On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training
This on-demand professional training program on Emerging from the Pandemic: The Ongoing Importance of Counselor Self-Care is presented by Richard Yep, CAE, FASAE.
Our society is experiencing a pandemic and increased divisiveness, discrimination, and anxiety. As counselors, we are responsible for caring for ourselves and maintaining our self-care plan. To continue to do the excellent work required of a professional counselor, the element of self-care cannot be underestimated, as these issues impact both the counselors and those who they serve.
Numerous books, articles, blogs, and conference presentations have addressed how counselors must care for themselves. To be successful in helping clients and students, professional counselors need to address the growing dilemma of burnout in the same way that flight attendants instruct us to use oxygen masks in case of an airplane emergency: put your mask on first before helping others.
Self-care is an essential factor in maintaining equilibrium and preventing burnout. To be most effective in our work, we should leverage a self-care plan that has clear goals, strategies, and timelines. Having such a plan is necessary to stay inspired and motivated.
Counselors must take care of themselves at all stages of their careers. The early stages of counselor training are critical for developing a foundation of attentive self-care and professionalism. Later in their careers, counselors must continue caring for themselves to remain inspired and energized. For example, counselors must exercise and eat nutritiously, get enough sleep, and manage stress effectively.
This program takes a holistic approach to the various components of self-care. It also speaks to setting appropriate boundaries and finding meaning in life. Knowing how to recognize, address, and practice skills to prevent mental and physical exhaustion will give you a long, productive, and fulfilling career as a professional counselor.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:
- 1 Describe awareness about how caring for self is a critical step in caring for others
- 2 Describe what prevents providers from caring for themselves
- 3 Describe the signs of when self-care is absent
- 4 Describe the techniques and actions counselors can easily implement that support self-care
Presented By
Richard Yep, CAE, FASAE, Vice President, Vetted Solutions
For 33 years, Richard Yep has worked for the American Counseling Association (ACA), the past 24 as the organization's Chief Executive Officer. ACA is the largest membership organization of professional counselors in the world. At the time he stepped down in June 2022, he was managing a staff of 60 and a $14 million budget. ACA has more than 58,000 members. Rich has presented on various issues impacting mental health providers. He has been invited to speak about leadership development, the importance of self-care specifically for mental health providcers, association management, and public policy. Rich has written a monthly column in Counseling Today magazine for more than twenty years and is a contributing author to Professional Practices in Association Management. His professional affiliations include the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) where he is a past Chair of the organization’s Committee on Diversity and Inclusion, completed a term on the ASAE Board of Directors, and was named an ASAE Fellow in 2012. In 2017, he received ASAE’s Key Award which honors an association CEO who demonstrates exceptional qualities of leadership in his or her own association and displays a deep commitment to voluntary membership organizations as a whole. For ten years Rich served on the Board of Trustees of Excelsior University, an institution based in Albany, New York that is dedicated to adult learners. His support of Excelsior is rooted in his personal experience in working with individuals facing personal and professional challenges, but who are dedicated to improving their lives through education. Rich is a Chair Emeritus of the board. During the July 2018 Commencement, Rich was recognized with an honorary doctoral degree. Rich holds an undergraduate degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Southern California.
Training Outline
Key topics covered in this training include:
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Why mental health professionals sometimes fall short of embracing self-care
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Overview of self-care research
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Understand where you fall regarding "SCA" (self-care awareness)
CE Sponsorship Information
Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by, recognized by, or maintains sponsorship provider status with the following boards and agencies. We maintain responsibility for all content in our CE/CPD programs. For more information, visit here.
American Psychological Association (APA): Approved sponsor of continuing education for psychologists.
Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB): Approved continuing education provider (ACE program, Provider #1480), 11/22/2023–11/22/2026.
Canadian Psychological Association (CPA): Approved to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.
National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC): Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP No. 7190).
Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), SW CPE is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0356 and the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0073. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6811. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CONCEPT Professional Training, #1480, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. CONCEPT Professional Training maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 11/22/23-11/22/26. Social workers completing this course receive (clinical or social work ethics) continuing education credits.