An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others

This book is excellent! Trauma is experienced by everyone in relationships, work, community and family. This book is accessable and relatively easy to read. However, it is not easy to read in the sense that it forces each of us to look within ourselves at our own lives and how we are impacted by the various traumas that we experience. Trauma can be experienced daily, weekly, or once-in-a-lifetime; but it always leaves an impression upon us. This book helps us learn to process these impressions/imprints and still be ourselves. A great tool, if we are brave enough to read it, look within, and follow the advice given.

I work with grandparents raising their grandchildren in Palm Beach County, Florida. After two years of hearing their stories and experiencing their emotions on a monthly basis, I was burned out. This book and the exercises has helped me get back to myself. Anyone who does social work will benefit from reading this book.

Excellent book written from a human perspective without a lot of psychiatric jargon. Clear examples of trauma responses by those of us that work in the field and great suggestions for learning how to continue our work while managing the effects upon us. It also raises the question is it time to move on to a different field and how to make that decision.

The thing about this book that's so brilliant, is that it is absolutely for anyone who is care taking, not just professionals. The insights, support, and perspective offered are smart, clear, and compassionate. At some point, everyone is taking care of someone else, even if it's just as someone who works for a non profit organization that provides a service. Burn out is everywhere and this little wonder of a book helped me understand how to take care of myself as well. It's smart, savvy, and the cartoons really give you a lift. I can't say enough about it. It is supremely useful and user-friendly! I would have been lost with out it.

The author has done a substantial amount of research from many different
fields to aid the reader to a deeper understanding of how working or volunteering
in the helping fields of work can impact the worker. It is a guide to not only
survive in these fields, but to remain committed and energized. I only wish that
more organizations and universities were aware of and promoting it.

A beautiful little book that gives those in the helping professions permission to care for themselves. I appreciate how Lipsky incorporates many different voices into this work, and I appreciate how she doesn't push any particular form of self-care. All the buzz these days is about mindfulness, but Lipsky rightly recognizes that, depending on the person, activities like exercise or playing a musical instrument can be just as valuable.

Most valuable, as other reviewers have noted.
I just want to note that there are two editions, though they are not easily identified. They are very similar, though the first edition has a little bit more exposition, going by the chapter I compared. The first edition is (c) 2009 by Berrett-Koehler Publishers; the second is (c) 2010 by ReadHowYouWant.com and is in big print. You can't go wrong with either one.

It is often difficult to find humor, hope, and meaning when faced with trauma. This book does a wonderful job at doing just that. I laughed out loud, I teared up, and felt genuinely moved throughout. I even loved the introduction! Among many things, the way she delivers the overall message is what resonates with me the most. She emphasizes the importance of caring for self in a way that gives greater understanding to the bigger picture. It is a book that reminds practitioners that by caring for one's self, we are better able to care not only for those that have suffered traumatic experiences - but also for those that work along side us. I am grateful for this book and the message it sends. I have recommended it to everyone that I know, particularly those working in mental health professions, emergency human service jobs, and anyone who has been intimate with trauma.

The author has some keen insights into the affect of Trauma on the human Spirit. Most of the book, however, is an apologetic for socialism and political activism. The book would be worthwhile if she could separate it from politics. It takes a very careful reader to pull out the practical elements of the work. She has a lot to offer, but discredits herself by turning it in to a treatise for liberation and egalitarianism. I was really disappointed. The book is far from useless. I have a short table leg it fits under perfectly.

An acquaintance gave me one of the several copies she had in her office. She gives it to all of her staff. I gave a copy to my granddaughter who teaches in Chicago, who loves it. She said it was one of the most helpful books she has read and gave it to some of her friends. 'Nuff said

I've used these books as giveaways at trainings for domestic violence provides and they all love it. honest accounts of how the job can get to you and how to make your life great while doing hard work

So, in all truthfulness, I haven't read this book but I am ordering it today. I just got back from a presentation at my workplace and if this book is half as good as her honest and insightful presentation, than need I say more! I am eager to read more in depth about the topics she brought up and excited to see what small changes I can may in my own life that will have a positive impact on not only my little circle but those around me. Thanks Laura for a great morning!

As someone who has worked in the environmental field for many years, I was delighted to find that this book speaks to my experience as well. Those of us who care deeply for the state of the planet may not use the language of trauma, but this book describes me and my colleagues in conservation and sustainability very well. When you are sitting daily with the realities of environmental degradation, you definitely feel that you can never do enough, and it wears on you at a very deep level. This book provides accessible yet profound strategies for taking care of yourself, and by extension, all forms of life in your care.

This book is INCREDIBLE. Especially these days, when all of us are experiencing so much secondhand trauma through social media, through the news etc. this book helps recenter and focus so that we can go it for the long haul, and really be there for the people we care about without burning out. As a musician, I didn't think a book like this would help me -- but it got into places that I didn't even realize I was experiencing secondary trauma.