Outside In

Each time one interprets the midst of suffering, trauma or grief, voices and feelings of others may lodge within and can negatively affect our lives and relationships.

Learning objectives:

1. Understand the Concept of “Emotional Germs”:

• • Define and recognize “emotional germs” and their impact on professionals who interpret or work in environments of suffering, trauma, or grief.
  • Explore the ways in which others’ emotions and experiences can affect one’s own mental health and relationships.

2. Maintain Professionalism and Empathy:

• • Learn strategies to remain professional and unbiased while experiencing empathy for others.
  • Balance empathy with the need to maintain professional boundaries.

3. Develop Coping Mechanisms:

• • Acquire tools and techniques to cope with the feelings and thoughts taken from assignments involving trauma and grief.
  • Understand methods to process and manage emotional residues from challenging assignments.

4. Promote Mental and Emotional Health:

• • Implement practices to stay mentally and emotionally healthy in a profession that involves frequent exposure to trauma and grief.
  • Learn self-care strategies to mitigate the impact of secondhand trauma.

5. Draw from Expert Insights and Experiences:

• • Gain insights from Dr. Tim VanDuivendyk’s experiences as a chaplain and licensed therapist.
  • Apply lessons from his book, “The Unwanted Gift of Grief,” to real-life professional scenarios.

6. Enhance Support Systems and Resilience:

• • Build and utilize support systems to manage the emotional toll of the profession.
  • Foster resilience in the face of ongoing exposure to others’ trauma and suffering.

7. Utilize Narratives and Experiences:

• • Learn from narratives and real-life experiences shared during the webinar to better understand and address the challenges of interpreting in traumatic contexts.
  • Apply practical examples and strategies to improve personal and professional well-being.

Presenter:

Tim VanDuivendyk, Vice President of Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care at Memorial Hermann Health. In addition to his role at Memorial Hermann, Dr. VanDuivendyk is also licensed by the state of Texas as a Professional Counselor and a Marriage and Family Therapist.