Therapeutic communication does not burn you out; it is invigorating

Abstract

The aim of this work is to help to clarify and modify the perception of some professionals that therapeutic communication is something that leads to "burn out". That is to say, to show how therapeutic communication not only does not burn you out, but can be invigorating at both a personal and professional level. The fact that some professionals have been through this sad experience (burnt out by therapeutic communication) may be due, among other reasons, to not having a clear concept of communication and the therapeutic relationship, and having forgotten that we cannot dedicate ourselves to this noble task without working first on ourselves, our personal growth, self-esteem, problems, conflicts, etc. If this is not done, there is a risk of not knowing where we stand—transgressing certain limits or principles that go along with therapeutic communication. Moreover, we try to state some of the stages of "burn-out syndrome", in order to help us to reflect, and to restore the professional and personal "life" that we may have left behind while caring for our patients.

Keywords

• Relación de ayuda
• Síndrome del burn-out
• Relación terapéutica
• Pacientes
• Profesionales de enfermería
• Realización personal