Caring for Caregivers

In therapeutic practice, the psychologist becomes a companion to the suffering of others, a witness who sustains the pain of others and transforms it into an opportunity for change. However, amidst this deeply human task, a paradox lies hidden: the more we concern ourselves with the well-being of others, the more we easily forget to attend to our own. From a systemic and communication perspective, this neglect is not a simple oversight, but a relational pattern that repeats and reinforces itself, until our own bodies or life forces us to stop.

Mental health professionals often hover between empathy and responsibility, between the desire to be helpful and an ethical commitment to others. In this constant effort, they can lose connection with their own needs, emotions, or limits. Caregiving, when not balanced with self-care, becomes exhausting. Often, therapists only recognize this disconnect when they are experiencing a personal crisis, an illness, or a traumatic event that forces them to look at themselves with the same compassion they offer to those they care for. And this is where the paradox is revealed: to genuinely care for others, it is necessary to first learn to care for oneself.

From the perspective of human communication, every action of the therapist conveys a message. If the psychologist promotes self-understanding, emotional regulation, or respect for boundaries, but neglects their own, their discourse loses coherence. The implicit message sent is contradictory: caring is preached, but sacrifice is modeled. In this imbalance, the therapist not only becomes exhausted, but also reduces their capacity for presence and listening, offering only a part of themselves in the helping relationship.

Caring for oneself, then, is not a selfish gesture or a secondary task. It is an act of professional and ethical coherence. It involves recognizing that the therapist is also a system that needs balance, rest, and spaces for renewal. It means learning to say “no” when your body or mind demands it, to set boundaries without guilt, and to validate your own emotions without denying them. Only from a state of authentic self-care is it possible to provide full, creative, and compassionate support. Caring for ourselves doesn’t distance us from others; rather, it allows us to be truly present, offering the best of ourselves in every therapeutic encounter.