Balancing Care: Counselling and Yoga Therapy for Healthcare Providers

After surviving a violent sexual assault in my early 20s, I was taken to a hospital to be examined and tended to by the doctor and nurses working there. They were one of my first points of safety after the most terrifying experience of my life. The safety that those healthcare providers created for me was certainly one (although not the only) of the contributing factors to my avoiding developing PTSD. The establishment of bodily, social and spiritual safety can (and hopefully does) happen at many points in a survivor's journey but for me, being taken into that hospital was an essential step in the process of regaining a sense of agency and empowerment.

My gratitude for and understanding of the importance of first responders and healthcare providers in my process has led me to dedicate a great deal of my counselling, yoga therapy and academic work to supporting those in the helping professions. This journey began in 2009 when I completed a master's thesis in which I conducted research examining the efficacy of Using Yoga for Stress Reduction in Health Service Workers.

This 8-week study which included group yoga therapy classes and home practices showed that those working in the helping professions experience very high levels of stress which in some cases, results in unhealthy coping mechanisms. Some sources of stress unique to healthcare providers include working in dysfunctional and under-funded bureaucracies, patient overload in terms of numbers, high turnover in staff and working with serious illness, injury and death and more recently the trauma of the pandemic. This load can be compounded because of a culture in which practitioners are encouraged to overwork but not strive for balance by taking time to care for themselves or receive it from others. Additionally, those in the field of health care often feel that they ought to be able to offer help to clients in situations where no help can realistically be given, thus resulting in feelings of powerlessness and compassion fatigue.

Both my quantitative and qualitative research demonstrated that yoga therapy is effective for stress reduction with participants reporting decreased levels of anxiety and depression and improved sleep patterns. Many noted a shift away from unhealthy coping mechanisms (using cigarettes and alcohol) to healthier ones. They found it easier to create healthier boundaries because of improved self-confidence and they reported less physical pain and tension, increased body awareness, reductions in menopausal symptoms, improved posture, and an enhanced capacity for coping with grief and loss. The breath work (pranayama), meditative practices, group affiliation and the establishment of a regular time in the week devoted to self-care were all factors reported as being beneficial. Healthcare workers said that they felt more in touch with their emotions and physical bodies. They spoke of being more grounded in their personal and professional lives and reported a newfound sense of empowerment.

As a result of what I have learned in my 13 years of supporting those in the helping professions, I provide a broad spectrum of ways to share my tailored approach to combining trauma-informed yoga therapy and counselling. These include 1-1 sessions, co-facilitating 1-day urban retreats and longer 4-day retreats so that participants can immerse themselves in the peace of nature.

I understand that healthcare providers often have demanding schedules. So, I offer flexible session times to make it easier for them to engage in counselling and yoga therapy without adding additional stress.

I always emphasize the importance of regular self-care and encourage my clients and students to integrate our practices into their daily routines to help manage stress and prevent burnout.

Giving back to healthcare providers is part of a larger commitment that I have to ensure that those who care for others, receive the safety and holistic care that they provided for me and continue to provide for all of us.