Mindfulness-based Self-care Practices of Counselors for Nurturing Wellbeing: An Auto/ethnographic Inquiry

Abstract

This study explores mindfulness-based self-care practices of counsellors working in school setting and how it contributes to wellbeing. The study demonstrates that mindfulness improves self-care and wellbeing, reduces stress and burnout, balances mental and physical health, and compassion towards self and others. This study further unpacks how counselors notice signs of stress and burnout, their existing self-care practices, and how they practice mindfulness in their daily life to enhance their wellbeing. This study follows a Buddhist perspective and is centralized within Buddhist principles. The study was done within three months using the auto/ethnographic method. The narratives offer experiences of school counselors’ challenges in school and how they deal with them, experiences of stress and burnout, existing self-care practices in their life areas, and reflection on need for changes in their self-care practices. Semi-structured interviews as well as arts-based work and photographs with three counselors working in school setting and journaling of Author 1 throughout the research period was documented. The first author reflects on her roles as counselor, Gestalt psychotherapist, mindfulness practitioner, and Buddhist student, in conversation with the second author role as mentor and educator with an Eastern perspective. Through an auto/ ethnographic inquiry, the study uses self-reflection of mindfulness practice and mindful inquiry with four counselors to gather, analyze and interpret self-reflective materials. This study contributes to knowledge that possibly enhances the development of the university curriculum in terms of the teaching, training, and supervision of self-care practices. It advocates the need for self-care for counselors in school.