You Can Only Give What You Have: Building Anchors to Weather the Storm of Stress

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Professional and personal capacity, or bandwidth, are intimately linked. Clients are best served by nourished clinicians. However, while navigating the unknowns of the Covid pandemic, stress levels have risen and depletion has become common place. This workshop explores the relationship between stress, breathing, relaxation, and personal and professional bandwidth. Participants will gain access to their own internal anchors while learning how to harness this experience for better client treatment. There will be a balance of practicing techniques and discussing the science behind why and how these techniques work.

Learning objectives:

1. Compare the body's sympathetic and parasympathic nervous systems and their relationship to the stress response.
2. Differentiate optimal diaphragmatic breathing with other styles of breathing.
3. Practice guided breath awareness and relaxation techniques and prepare to employ them with clients.
4. Appraise personal stress experiences and select appropriate techniques for self and clients.
5. Formulate personal practice of breathing and relaxation methods.

Research: Research information about this presentation can be found on the following websites:

• https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00874/full
• https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/relaxation-techniques-breath-control-helps-quell-errant-stress-response
• https://www.stress.org/take-a-deep-breath
• https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/meditation-in-depth
• https://breathe.ersjournals.com/content/13/4/298

Content level: beginning, intermediate, and advanced

Target Audience: social workers, mental health practitioners, creative arts therapists, marriage and family therapists, psychologists, and other interested individuals

Customer Service

ADA Accommodations: If you require any support for your ADA needs in the United States, please contact us by email at least 3 weeks prior to the event by email at sw-ce@buffalo.edu or by phone at 716-829-5841.

Customer Service: We are happy to respond to any concerns or questions you may have. Please contact us at by email at sw-ce@buffalo.edu or by phone at 716-829-5841.