Mental Health Days

We've discussed lots of things over the years, but one of the things that I feel is most important (and an issue often glossed over in education and clinical training) is the mental health of the therapist. Now, we talk about mental health in terms of transference and countertransferance, we talk about burn-out, and we talk about making sure that we keep our clients' goals in mind always, but we rarely talk about those times when we are not able to give the type of attention to our clients that they need and deserve. In those cases, it is time for the therapist to take a mental health day!

Now, I am a person with a strong work ethic for which I thank my parents every day. I enjoy most things about my job, and I love being a music therapist for and with my clients. I drag myself to work on days where the weather is nasty. I am constantly looking for new ideas and experiences to share with my kids, and I try very hard to make my work environment a pleasant place for all who enter.

I am human. There are times when I am happy, there are times when I am unhappy. These past few days have been some unhappy days for me. There is lots going on in my life that are not very positive, and I am having to deal with the ramifications of my life choices and an uncertain future. In this case, being at work, even with all the crap going on, has been helpful for my mental health. I was feeling pretty sorry for myself this weekend. There are times, though, when being at work is not healthy. At those times, I take a mental health day and simply stay home.

I allow myself to have mental health days when I need them. I think of them as just as important as sick days for when I am transmitting contagion. I attempt to use all of my days off sparingly, but there are times when I just have to be away in order to provide my clients with a safe situation - a distracted therapist may not be the best person to guide a client's therapeutic process.

My friend, Lillieth Grand, posted this comment on a post in the Music Therapists Unite! group offering the ethical and professional requirements for us to consider. Thanks, Lillie, for all of this!!

From the AMTA code of ethics: 1.5 The MT is aware of personal limitations, problems, and values that might interfere with his/her professional work and, at an early stage, will take whatever action is necessary (i.e., seeking professional help, limiting or discontinuing work with clients, etc.) to ensure that services to clients are not affected by these limitations and problems. From AMTA Professional Competencies: 22.8 Demonstrate critical self-awareness of strengths and weaknesses. and 14.1 Recognize the impact of one's own feelings, attitudes, and actions on the client and the therapy process. 14.2 Establish and maintain interpersonal relationships with clients that are conducive to therapy. 14.3 Use oneself effectively in the therapist role in both individual and group therapy, e.g. appropriate self-disclosure, authenticity, empathy, etc. toward affecting desired behavioral outcomes. So, the point is, take the day off if you need to!!!

I concur heartily!

There are some things that you need to be aware of that may be signals of bigger issues.

• If you are consistently dreading a particular day or a particular session, there may be something wrong with the relationship between you and the people that you interact with during those times.
• If you keep feeling the need for mental health days, it is probably time to change something - your job, your profession, your surroundings. It is fine to take the occasional mental health day, but multiple health days are signals that you need to change. 
• Sometimes a lack of interest in what you need to do is not just a mental health issue. There are times when physical illness first manifests in feelings of malaise, depression, restlessness, difficulty concentrating, and other symptoms that we may initially identify as mental health rather than as physiological. Check out your physical being as well as your mental being.

As a therapist, I am constantly striving to be more self-aware, and my mental health is a large part of my self. When I wake up in the morning feeling like I absolutely CANNOT be a therapeutic guide during the day, I have to make a decision. Do I go to work? Do I stay home? Why do I feel this way? Is is a symptom of something else? Can I fix this alone? Do I need help from someone else? All of these questions are important to consider.

At this time, right now, at this very moment, my life and mental health are starting to be more positive in nature. I am now being more and more proactive about my own life situations - work and outside of work!

Just a couple of concluding thoughts.

• Life is too short to be miserable in your job. If you don't like what you are doing, the unhappiness is just plain old NOT WORTH IT!
• If you find yourself lost in your work, you have found your future (Got this from a Ziggy cartoon a very long time ago!)
• Always have things around that require less from you as a therapist - I keep simple games, music-altered games (like Uno, Bingo, hangman, etc.), and file folder activities that my clients can complete on their own. I also have music videos that explain some form of goal. I have things that I can get started and then sit back and watch.
• Acknowledge that you are human and accept that fact. We are not meant to be super-heroes when it comes to taking care of others.

Take care of yourself physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually!