Today the ITZI Support Group discussed the theme "The Wounded Healer"
Points that came up included
- some people become healers because they are wounded
- being wounded may intensify sympathy and empathy
- but may also lead one to project one’s problems onto others
- some people get wounded by the system that they work in as healers
- or by the stress of working with wounded people
- does the healer have a duty to overcome his woundedness?
- is overcoming woundedness actually a central part of the process of psychotherapy?
- the culture of the helping agency may facilitate or impede helpers seeking help
- supervision can be immensely useful
- but finding good supervision is not always easy
- though peer group supervision can sometimes solve this problem
- there can be conflicts of role within the idea of supervision (supervisor as controller, as coach, as second opinion, as therapist for the therapist)
- we are all human and humans always have some problems, at least in relationships
- the community of helpers should be a place where people do not need to be defensive.
We shall be continuing this discussion next week. If you are interested in being involved in discussions of this kind, do join ITZI Support
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