




































Journal Final Revised Margins.indd


This article examines the risks faced by helping professionals, such 
as clinical social workers, due to their tendency to be more attentive to 
clients than to their own needs. It is suggested that clinicians can im-
prove job engagement and minimize burnout risk through increased self-
awareness and self-care. Using an approach based on Giddens’ (1984) 
structuration theory, the authors provide specific suggestions for self-
awareness and self-care, including the concept that workers should 
improve and exercise their self-advocacy skills as a form of self-care.

RESCUING THE SELF FROM SELFLESSNESS: 
HOW WE CAN BE BETTER AT HELPING 
OTHERS BY HELPING OURSELVES

Steve Salee & Jonathan Sibley 

There is a long tradition within clinical social work and psychology 
of considering the importance of self in direct practice (Edwards 

& Bess, 1998; Guy, 2000; Jennings, Goh, Skovholt, Hanson, & Banerjee-
Stevens, 2003; Kondrat, 1999; Skovholt & Jennings, 2004). The therapist 
or clinician plays a key role in therapeutic encounters, and it is thought that 
a healthy self is a clinician’s most important tool. In addition to considering 
the advantages of a strong self, this article examines the risks of depleting 
the self through an unbalanced focus on attending to others – unbalanced 
selflessness.

In the early 1980s, researchers began studying the unique stresses 
faced by human services workers stemming from the nature of their 
direct interactions with clients (Maslach, 2003; Maslach, Schaufeli, & 
Leiter, 2001; Posig & Kickul, 2003). This particular type of occupational 
stress became known as burnout and is most frequently thought of as a 
combination of emotional exhaustion, cynicism about the job, and a low 
sense of personal achievement. Burnout has a negative impact on the 
personal life and work performance of the affected worker, while the 
presumed antithesis of burnout, job engagement, has a positive impact on 
the worker’s personal life and work performance (Maslach; Maslach & 
Goldberg, 1998; Maslach, Schaufeli, & Leiter). This article considers some 
of the potential vulnerabilities of clinical social workers that may lead to a 
depleted self, key symptoms of this condition, and steps that can be taken 
to facilitate self-awareness and engage in self-care behaviors that can both 
strengthen and maintain the clinician’s self.

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Journal of Student Social Work, Volume II   35



This article examines the social worker’s need for self-awareness and 
self-care, using the concept of person-in-environment, a framework that has 
been endorsed by the Council on Social Work Education and considered a 
hallmark of good social work practice (Council on Social Work Education, 
2001; Kondrat, 2002; Rogge & Cox, 2001). In particular, Giddens’ 
(1984) structuration theory, an elaboration of the person-in-environment 
framework, will also be utilized. This framework develops the concept of bi-
directional, recursive interactions between an individual and the individual’s 
environment and the ways in which this concept supports the notions of 
human agency and empowerment (Giddens; Kondrat, 2002). Another 
framework frequently used in social work, Bronfenbrenner’s multi-level, 
ecological systems model, which can be seen as an extension of the person-
in-environment approach (Rogge & Cox, 2001), will also be incorporated. 
Bronfenbrenner’s model describes four levels of environment that can affect 
an individual or family – micro, meso, exo, and macro (Bronfenbrenner, 
1979). However, this article will forego a complete analysis of each of 
Bronfenbrenner’s levels in the interest of brevity.

Background on Social Workers and Self-care
The tendency to limit or avoid self-awareness and self-care can take a 

serious toll on the practice and personal life of the clinical social worker. 
Helping professionals appear to be more adept at assessing and intervening 
with individuals and groups as opposed to assessing and helping themselves. 
Such avoidance could lead to less effective practice, professional 
impairment, boundary violations, and burnout. In addition, this avoidance 
could lead to personal relationship problems, depression, substance abuse, 
and even suicide in extreme cases (Brady, Healy, Norcross, & Guy, 1995; 
Gilroy, Carroll, & Murra, 2002; O’Connor, 2001; Sherman & Thelen, 1998; 
Sussman, 1995b). 

Until recently, few studies focused on distress, burnout, and impairment 
specifically among social workers. These studies showed mixed results 
(Soderfeldt, Soderfeldt, & Warg, 1995). However, a 2003 study of social 
workers in North Carolina found that 11% of social workers studied were 
at serious risk of alcohol abuse, another 22% were at moderate risk of 
alcohol abuse, and that 53% of those at serious risk reported some kind 
of professional and personal impairment (Siebert, 2003). A recent study 
of social workers in the United Kingdom found that 74% of respondents 
suffered from borderline to pathological levels of anxiety (Lloyd, King, & 
Chenoweth, 2002). Although it is unfortunate that recent studies indicate a 
potential problem with distress, burnout, and impairment among some social 
workers, it is encouraging that these issues are receiving more attention 
among researchers. The implications of impairment and boundary violations 
extend beyond the individual helping professional, as the reputation of the 

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36   Journal of Student Social Work, Volume II



helper’s profession can also be tarnished by such acts (Sherman & Thelen, 
1998).

While some clinicians suffer from distress, burnout, and impairment, 
there are other clinicians who have been found to thrive in their profession 
with therapeutic outcomes that are far superior to other colleagues (Brown, 
Dreis, & Nace, 1999; Okiishi, Lambert, Nielsen, & Ogles, 2003). There 
appears to be little, if any, research on the specific clinician attributes that 
lead to positive client outcomes, but there is an increasing body of research 
that looks at the common attributes among practitioners who are considered 
to be master therapists, as defined by their peers or by client outcome 
measures (Okiishi, Lambert, Nielsen, & Ogles; Skovholt & Jennings, 
2004). To date, attention to the clinician’s self, through self-awareness and 
self-care, has been cited as a key characteristic of expert clinicians (Guy, 
2000; Kondrat, 1999; Norcross, 2000; Schwebel & Coster, 1998; Skovholt 
& Ronnestad, 1992), and Skovholt and Jennings (2004) found that master 
therapists were as skilled at assessing themselves as they were at assessing 
their clients. Additional research is required to identify what degree of self-
awareness and/or self-care are directly correlated with therapist wellness 
and client outcomes. In particular there is a need for longitudinal studies of 
therapist development (Skovholt & Jennings) which follow students from 
school though their professional careers. 

Self-Awareness
Helping professionals are often driven by an intense curiosity about 

and interest in others (Kottler, 2003; Spurling & Dryden, 1989). As some 
authors have pointed out, however, it is ironic that the same levels of 
curiosity and interest are not always present when the practitioners consider 
themselves (Kottler; Skovholt, 2001; Sussman, 1995b). Kottler stated that 
social workers are encouraged to be reflective but tend not to seek out the 
same sort of help they provide for and encourage in others. 

To some degree, social workers are in the business of “disillusionment” 
(Kottler, 2003, p. 23), helping clients to replace their illusions and 
misperceptions with a more realistic, helpful view of their lives. There are 
also potential benefits to clients if social workers can disillusion themselves 
as well. Through a more realistic lens, social workers can come to terms with 
a more balanced view of who they are, what motivates them, and how they 
behave in their profession, ultimately becoming more effective (Kottler). 
Personal therapy, supervision, consultation, and peer support are often-cited 
approaches to increase self-awareness and personal growth (Kottler, 1999; 
Kottler; Pieper, 1999; Skovholt & Jennings, 2004). Schools and training 
programs can also play a key role in encouraging students and trainees to 
become more self-aware (Schwebel & Coster, 1998; Sherman & Thelen, 
1998; Sussman, 1995b). 

Rescuing the Self from Selflessness

Journal of Student Social Work, Volume II   37



It can be important to understand one’s motivations for entering the 
helping professions to ensure realistic aspirations. This understanding may 
also serve as a preventive measure against future burnout, impairment, and 
boundary violations (O’Connor, 2001). A number of authors have looked 
at the motivations of those in the helping professions, including social 
work (Berger, 1995; Gilbert, Hughes, & Dryden, 1989; Grosch & Olsen, 
1995; Guy, 2000; Kottler, 2003; Norcross & Guy, 1989; O’Connor, 2001; 
Smith, 1995; Spurling & Dryden, 1989; Sussman, 1995a; Sussman, 1995b; 
Vincent, 1996). These authors have found that some of the same traits that 
can lead people to these professions and contribute to their effectiveness as 
helpers can also be potential vulnerabilities when it comes to taking care of 
themselves and their clients.

In many cases, helpers are driven by a “selfless caring for others” 
(Smith, 1995, p. 785). It is also possible that they are motivated by forces 
that are further from their awareness and more difficult to accept – a search 
for intimacy, power, admiration, and even a desire to address issues in 
others that are also their own (Gilbert Hughes, & Dryden, 1989; Pieper, 
1999; Sussman, 1995a; Vincent, 1996). Skovholt and Ronnestad (1992) 
found that graduate students studying counseling and therapy believed 
they understood their motivations for entering the profession, while senior 
clinicians often stated they had not fully understood their motivations when 
they were beginning their career. While this was not a longitudinal study 
and this difference may be explained by the varying cohorts and teaching 
methods, it is possible that there is an evolution in clinicians’ concepts of 
their motivations. 

It is important for social workers to understand their motivations. If they 
expect, even unconsciously, their clients to serve their own needs, they are 
likely to care less effectively for their clients and risk frustrating themselves, 
potentially leading to impairment or burnout (Brady, Healy, Norcross, & 
Guy, 1995; Kottler, 2003; Vincent, 1996). Through self-awareness, social 
workers can mitigate unrealistic expectations of their clients and their client 
relationships. Through such awareness social workers can recalibrate their 
expectations of themselves and their clients.

Another aspect of self-awareness is for social workers to recognize the 
impact of their personal histories on their choice of profession and how they 
practice. Many who work in the helping professions have played the roles 
of go-betweens, helpers, caregivers, or mediators in their families of origin 
(Kottler, 2003; Ronnestad & Skovholt, 2001; Sussman, 1995b; Vincent, 
1996). The positive result of this experience may be that it helped them to 
develop particular skills and sensitivities toward helping others. However, 
that focus on the other could mean they have less experience and comfort 
when it comes to asking for and receiving help themselves. Recognizing 

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38   Journal of Student Social Work, Volume II



this can allow social workers to counteract such tendencies and seek out the 
help they need.

There are several steps that social workers can take in an effort to 
increase their level of self-awareness (Kondrat, 1999; Skovholt & Ronnestad, 
1992):

· Notice their own biases.
· Get feedback from colleagues and clients.
· Utilize audio and video recording for self-monitoring.
· Secure good ongoing supervision.
· Engage in personal therapy.

Self-Care at the Individual Level
At the individual level, self-care is defined as the strategies that one 

uses to care for him- or herself, particularly those that build-up or replenish 
the self, lowering the risk of impairment, burnout, or simply less effective 
practice (Guy, 2000). Maslach (2003) suggests that the three dimensions 
of burnout are cynicism, exhaustion, as well as a sense of ineffectiveness 
and lack of accomplishment. While direct client work may lead to quicker 
burnout, social workers in every discipline need to be aware of and guard 
against burnout. In fact, Kottler (2003, p. 159) has suggested that “rustout” 
is a more accurate term than burnout “because it better represents the kind 
of slow, gradual process that eats away at a therapist’s spirit.” In many 
cases those around social workers may be the best sources of feedback 
about whether it is time to step up self-care efforts, given the difficulty of 
identifying the warning signs (Kottler).

In social work it is often hard to avoid disillusionment related to a sense 
of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment, one of Maslach’s (2003) 
three dimensions of burnout. The greater the imagined success and power, the 
greater the potential for disillusionment. Exhaustion, another of Maslach’s 
dimensions, is also a potential concern for those who work long hours. This 
is particularly true when there is a great need for services and scarce and 
diminishing resources with which to help clients. With high, potentially 
unrealistic expectations for what can be accomplished and inadequate 
time and resources to achieve constant success, social workers may find 
themselves becoming cynical, completing Maslach’s third dimension of 
burnout.

Building self-care into one’s way of life is recommended. Just as 
social workers automatically write progress notes to track client progress 
or advocate for client social service needs, they also need to build self-
care into their schedules. Several possible strategies for individual self-care 
include (Kottler, 1999; Mahoney, 1997; Sussman, 1992):

· Maintain strong relationships with significant others.

Rescuing the Self from Selflessness

Journal of Student Social Work, Volume II   39



· Eat healthy balanced meals and get 7-8 hours of sleep a night.
· Get physical exercise at least three times a week.
· Try a few minutes of meditation in the morning or before seeing 
clients.

· Do not lose sight of hobbies such as movies, reading, arts, and 
museums.

· Take vacations away from routine schedules, home, and clients.
· Regularly capture thoughts and feelings in a reflective journal.
· Set limits and boundaries between work and personal life.
· Get supervision from peers or others.
· Embark on personal therapy to better understand motivations and 
possible sources of countertransference.

There are also strategies that could be used within the educational 
system (Schwebel & Coster, 1998; Sherman & Thelen, 1998; Sussman, 
1992):

· Screen during the entrance process to ensure that students admitted 
to the program have a healthy, realistic understanding of their reasons 
for entering it.

· Include training on self-awareness and self-care within the 
curriculum, including family of origin work.

· Include training within the curriculum on recognizing and dealing 
with distress and impairment.

· Use a buddy system or small groups to help students become more 
self-aware.

· Ensure that supervisors can provide appropriate support.
· Continue or expand use of reflective journals and process recordings 
to ensure that students use these tools to improve their capacity for 
self-awareness.

· Encourage students to find an appropriate balance between study and 
outside interests.

Self-Care at the Person and Environment Levels
The degree of fit between an individual and his or her work environment, 

known as job-person fit, appears to be a major factor in burnout across a 
broad set of occupations (Maslach, 2003; Maslach, Schaufeli, & Leiter, 
2001; Um & Harrison, 1998). Self-advocacy – an attempt to improve one’s 
professional and personal environment – can be seen as a form of self-care 
and an effective strategy in the quest to both improve job engagement and 
minimize burnout.

As stated previously, the dynamics of exchange between the 
environment and the individual fit well with Giddens’ (1984) model of 
person-in-environment. Social workers may exercise self-advocacy in both 

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40   Journal of Student Social Work, Volume II



the workplace and also within and on behalf of the profession of social 
work. In the workplace, social workers would be interacting with what 
Bronfenbrenner would term the individual’s mesosystem. In advocating for 
the profession, the worker’s profession would be considered to be part of 
the individual’s macrosystem.

If social workers find that they do not have the resources to do their jobs 
well, it may be time for increased self-advocacy in the workplace. Areas 
which can be addressed include workload/caseload, paperwork requirements, 
salary, office environment, amount and type of onsite supervision, alliance 
building, and the effective marketing of social work services.

On a broader level of the profession, using Giddens’ (1984) concept 
of bi-directional, recursive interactions between person and environment, 
social workers are impacted by the profession’s role in society but also 
have the potential to contribute to a redefinition of that role. Examples of 
self-advocacy used by social workers trying to impact the profession could 
include attempts to:

· Increase salary for all social workers.
· Improve the public perception of professional competence among 
social workers.

· Use and increase the power of the profession to practice at bothmicro 
and macro levels, practicing both case advocacy and cause advocacy 
on behalf of clients and others (Lens & Gibelman, 2000; Walz &
Groze, 1991).

Strengthening alliances with other professions and practitioners 
would be of tremendous value to helping social workers and their clients. 
Particularly within the field of social work where the nature of the work can 
sometimes be isolating, social workers can work more effectively through a 
greater degree of collaboration with others. By leveraging these resources, 
social workers will not spend their energy forging a new path of advocacy 
and support for each additional client.

Advocating for self-interest may sound antithetical to social work, 
but when social workers help themselves, they help their clients directly. 
Selye (1974) writes about “altruistic egotism”, suggesting that altruism and 
egotism do not have to be seen as mutually exclusive. If a client sees that 
social workers are taking care of themselves, they may receive a positive 
modeling message of effective self-care. This becomes a useful model of 
self-advocacy that clients can internalize for their own lives.

Conclusion
Only when social workers incorporate an approach that includes 

self-awareness, self-care, and self-advocacy are they most likely to stay 
healthfully engaged in their chosen profession and of greatest service to 
their clients. If social workers begin to lose their self through unbalanced 
selflessness, they run the previously mentioned risks of impairment and 
burnout. Thus, social workers are faced with a need to rescue the self from 
pure selflessness so that they may build and maintain their sense of self for 
their own good and for the good of their clients.

Rescuing the Self from Selflessness

Journal of Student Social Work, Volume II   41



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44   Journal of Student Social Work, Volume II

Salee & Sibley



Steve Salee is a second-year Master’s student at the Columbia University School 
of Social Work concentrating in Clinical Practice within the World of Work. He 
is currently an intern at the Employee Assistance Program Consortium in New 

York City. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Brown University and a MPA from 
Columbia University. His email address is stevesalee@verizon.net.

Jonathan Sibley is a second-year Master’s student at the Columbia University 
School of Social Work concentrating in Clinical Practice within the World of Work. 
He is currently an intern at the Family Service League in Montclair, New Jersey. 
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psycholinguistics and Linguistic Anthropology 

from Princeton University and a MBA from INSEAD in France. His email address 
is jsibley@comcast.net. 

Journal of Student Social Work, Volume II   45

Rescuing the Self from Selflessness


