Facilitating the Genetic Counseling Process Practice-Based Skills, Second Edition

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yourself from the excesses of emotional pain by at times moving back a little,
grounding yourself, and then joining with the client again” (Geldard and Anderson
1989 , p. 177).
Genetic counselors can experience distress and burnout at any time in their career
(Jungbluth et al. 2011 ; Zahm et al. 2016 ), and so you must develop ways to alleviate
the symptoms and either reduce or remove the underlying causes.

Managing Distress as a Novice

Although distress can occur at any time in your career (e.g., Zahm et al. 2016 ), you
may be experiencing unique stressors because you are in the process of learning
how to become an effective genetic counselor (Jungbluth et al. 2011 ; MacFarlane
et  al. 2016 ). Studies of genetic counseling students have identified stressors that
include professional uncertainty (e.g., about one’s competency), impact of personal
life events (e.g., finances, family situations), interpersonal demands (e.g., challeng-
ing interactions), academic demands (e.g., school performance), and isolating cir-
cumstances (loneliness) (Jungbluth et al. 2011 ).
How can you deal with the stresses of being a novice? The following strategies
may be effective:

• Discuss how things are going with your peers and with friends.


• Talk with supervisors, as they can provide helpful support and guidance
  (MacFarlane et al. 2016 ).


• Really “hear” positive feedback about your work, and don’t dwell solely on neg-
  ative feedback.


• Engage in positive self-talk (e.g., “Here is what I did well. I made this mistake,
  but it’s a common mistake for beginners.”). As a genetic counseling student in a
  study by Jungbluth et al. ( 2011 ) said, “‘If you really focus on learning and gain-
  ing experiences for the pure enjoyment and the importance/relevance of the
  information for your future work, you naturally will find yourself less stressed
  than students who worry more about ‘making the grades’” (p. 281).


• Maintain a sense of humor.


• Observe others providing genetic counseling, so you have multiple models from
  which to develop your own style (Hendrickson et al. 2002 ).


• Take risks: volunteer to do role-plays, disclose your concerns in supervision and
  in classroom discussions, etc.


• Keep a journal for recording your thoughts and feelings. Periodically review
  earlier entries, so you can see how you are developing as a genetic counselor.


• Practice in simulated genetic counseling sessions with a classmate or friend and
  record your sessions. Play them back and critique your work (what went well and
  not so well).


• Seek personal counseling if your anxiety is having a negative impact on your
  clinical work and/or your responsiveness to supervision.

12.2 Distress and Burnout