self-Care for Helping Professionals
(non-clinical, non-supervisory)
What does it mean to tend to the deepest part of ourselves—the part that fuels our inner light in the care we offer, and the part that can feel weighed down by the suffering we encounter each day?
For those of us in helping professions, caring for others often comes at a cost. Burnout, overwhelm, and compassion fatigue can quietly emerge as we hold space for others while navigating our own inner worlds. Therapists, healthcare providers, spiritual leaders, educators, and other professional caregivers offer calm, compassion, and presence daily. But what happens when our own sense of calm feels difficult to access? How do we continue to lead with clarity and compassion when we ourselves feel depleted?
Perhaps what we need is not simply more self-care, but a way of returning to the qualities that already exist within us.
Helping professionals in mental, physical, and spiritual health are invited to participate in a small group centered around the healing qualities of Internal Family Systems (IFS) Self-leadership. Together, we will explore the Eight C's of Self—calmness, curiosity, compassion, confidence, courage, clarity, creativity, and connectedness—as a pathway toward greater inner harmony and sustainable care for ourselves and those we serve.
In this in-person, experiential group, we will gather in Renew's beautiful community room for guided discussion, centering practices, and reflection. Each bi-weekly, 75-minute mini-retreat is designed to provide a supportive space for slowing down, reconnecting with Self, and restoring the inner resources that allow us to care well for others.
Who: Helping professionals in mental, physical, and spiritual health
When: Bi-weekly on Wednesdays beginning September 2
Time: 9:00–10:15 a.m. (75-minute sessions)
Cost: $40 per session
Where: Renew Community Room : 3925 Blenheim Blvd., Unit 52-B Fairfax, VA 22030
“I am called to connection, called to a sacred inner well, called to express what I find there with humility and courage.
Called to do what I can to heal what feels broken in my life and in the world, but keep an open heart to what is learned in the process of brokenness.”
Carrie Newcomber (musician, songwriter, author)
ABOUT GROUP LEADER, SHANNON WISE, MM, MS : RESIDENT IN COUNSELING
Hi there, I’m Shannon, a Resident in Counseling with master’s degrees in vocal performance and pastoral counseling. I offer a spiritually inclusive and affirming space for individuals, couples, and groups, and I honor the sacred worth and diversity of all people.
I am trained in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Internal Family Systems (IFS).
The arts have always been a grounding source of strength, healing, and self-expression for me—especially during times of change—and I often integrate creative approaches into my work with clients. I aim to help people find meaning, build resilience, and reconnect with their inner strengths in seasons of uncertainty or growth.
I specialize in supporting clients with stress, grief and loss, anxiety, depression, neurodiversity, life transitions, parenting, family and marital concerns, career and identity discernment, spiritual exploration, religious trauma, and the unique challenges of the sandwich generation.
To register for this group, please fill out the form below.