The "Rescuer" Archetype: Pathway to Burnout for Somatic Practitioners
April/14/2009 07:27 AM Filed in: Ethics &
Archetypes
Today
I would like to introduce you to the "Rescuer". This
is another archetype that seems to be extremely
prevalent in the consciousness of people-helping
professionals of all kinds. For those of us who work
by directly interacting with the body, it can work in
a very subtle manner. We might think that because we
are not doing psychological counseling, it isn't as
important for us as for other professions. However,
the drive to take away everybody's pain with bodywork
or acupuncture can lead us into an important trap.
You know the "Rescuer" is lurking when you tell yourself (or the client) that you can solve his/her problems and take away all his/her suffering by providing bodywork, acupuncture, manipulations, or any other somatic therapy. That may sound like exactly what we are supposed to be doing, otherwise, why are we in the profession? But there's a catch...
Consider.... we REALLY don't know to what degree we can induce changes with our work until we have done at least one session for the person. There are many factors that effect the outcome of treatment, and most of them are beyond our control. We have all had the experience of doing everything that "should" work, and it doesn't, even though the same techniques have been successful with numerous previous clients.
"The Rescuer" can be very sneaky. You may have to really study yourself to realize that it is directing you in ways that can lead to disappointment, boundary issues, and even lost clients.
You'll know the "Rescuer" is driving you when any of the following things happen:
1. You feel an obligation to create change, even before you've assessed or worked on the client
2. You feel like you have failed or let him down if you are unable to produce change
3. There's a sense of urgency regarding the client
4. You are tempted to cross professional boundaries with the client
5. You visualize how grateful they will be to you when they are "healed"
6. You are tempted to work too hard, too long, too deep, in your effort to produce results, even though it may not be appropriate for the person
7. You get a "high" from someone saying that you have made them feel much better, and you seek that "high" from future clients.
8. You feel competitive with other therapists in the sense that you can get people better faster than they can
9. Making people feel better is a way of boosting your self-worth or ego
The "Rescuer" shows up when you are doing bodywork with a hidden agenda involving feeling better about yourself or trying to prove something to the rest of the world.
Because it inherently produces boundary violations and wrong interpretations of the role of the therapist, it leads to frustration, burn-out, and ineffective therapy. It makes the client dependent, needy, and disempowered. Not a good formula for successful practice over many years.
Next time I will write more about the "Rescuer" and share some therapist experiences with this fascinating archetype.
You know the "Rescuer" is lurking when you tell yourself (or the client) that you can solve his/her problems and take away all his/her suffering by providing bodywork, acupuncture, manipulations, or any other somatic therapy. That may sound like exactly what we are supposed to be doing, otherwise, why are we in the profession? But there's a catch...
Consider.... we REALLY don't know to what degree we can induce changes with our work until we have done at least one session for the person. There are many factors that effect the outcome of treatment, and most of them are beyond our control. We have all had the experience of doing everything that "should" work, and it doesn't, even though the same techniques have been successful with numerous previous clients.
"The Rescuer" can be very sneaky. You may have to really study yourself to realize that it is directing you in ways that can lead to disappointment, boundary issues, and even lost clients.
You'll know the "Rescuer" is driving you when any of the following things happen:
1. You feel an obligation to create change, even before you've assessed or worked on the client
2. You feel like you have failed or let him down if you are unable to produce change
3. There's a sense of urgency regarding the client
4. You are tempted to cross professional boundaries with the client
5. You visualize how grateful they will be to you when they are "healed"
6. You are tempted to work too hard, too long, too deep, in your effort to produce results, even though it may not be appropriate for the person
7. You get a "high" from someone saying that you have made them feel much better, and you seek that "high" from future clients.
8. You feel competitive with other therapists in the sense that you can get people better faster than they can
9. Making people feel better is a way of boosting your self-worth or ego
The "Rescuer" shows up when you are doing bodywork with a hidden agenda involving feeling better about yourself or trying to prove something to the rest of the world.
Because it inherently produces boundary violations and wrong interpretations of the role of the therapist, it leads to frustration, burn-out, and ineffective therapy. It makes the client dependent, needy, and disempowered. Not a good formula for successful practice over many years.
Next time I will write more about the "Rescuer" and share some therapist experiences with this fascinating archetype.