Helping the Helper

Helping the Helper: How WLP Connected Serene with the Support She Deserved

Serene had worked in hospice for ten years. She loved her coworkers, but was struggling with burnout and compassion fatigue due to the nature of her job. Serene desperately needed to talk to a professional, but as she began contacting counselors on her EAP list, she discovered they either were not accepting new clients or were not the right fit.

Serene put her counselor search on hold until a particularly upsetting event at work forced her to take a short leave of absence. That’s when she contacted WorkLife Partnership.

We discussed the type of counselor Serene was hoping to find and requested a new list from her EAP. When contacting these counselors, I experienced many of the same issues Serene had, so I searched elsewhere and found four counselors who fit her needs, accepted her EAP and insurance, and were taking new clients. Two of the counselors said they had experience working with people in the hospice setting and told me, “I really want to work with your client.” So not only did Serene have options, she also had two prospects who were very motivated to support her.

Serene recently met with one of them and emailed me: “Feeling hopeful—I met with Dr. ****** today! She’s so nice and it’s a great fit. Truly I couldn’t have done this without your help! Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

As a hospice caregiver, Serene provides a critical service to our Northern Colorado community. It is difficult work, and without support she might have looked for a different career. Now that Serene has a counselor to help her process the difficult emotions inherent in her line of work, she can continue providing critical end-of-life care for patients.