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Rayna Neises, your host, speaks with Dr. Edward M. Smink, Ph.D.  Dr. Ed is a speaker, coach, and author of The Soul of Caregiving: A Caregiver’s Guide to Healing and Transformation.  He holds multiple degrees including two M.A.s and a Ph. D in Psychology.  In addition, Dr. Ed holds a title as a Board Certified Chaplain and an Associate Coach. He attributes his skills to his experience at the bedside as well as to overcoming severe compassion fatigue and burnout.  Dr. Ed offers hope now to caregivers suffering from similar issues.  He provides the following insights:

• (3:34) Often times caregivers feel guilty when they ask for help.
• (6:33) Compassion Fatigue is not a mental illness, but instead something we all experience when we care to the point of exhaustion.
• (10:23) Three cultural taboos that prevent caregivers from seeking help:
  • (10:26) If you just keep trying harder, you can get it done.
  • (11:23) Don’t talk to anyone about your experiences.
  • (12:35) Don’t show emotion.
• (16:40) Compassion Resilience means you are able to absorb a situation and not have it take you off-balance.
• (20:18) It is important to be able to find the boundary to take on what you need to, but allow the rest to come off.
• (22:38) Self-care is the ability to reflect and take care of yourself.
• (25:04) Contact Dr. Ed at his website soulofcaregiving.com and order his book there or on Amazon.
• (25:33) When you find yourself overwhelmed, do the easiest thing.
• (27:11) This episode is brought to you by the Encouragement Series: Hope Over Regrets. This free faith-based series will be coming in November.  If you would like to receive updates, visit EncouragementSeries.com.