Same Old, Same Old: Avoiding Compassion Fatigue in Mediation

Let’s face it, few people approach the mediation  table with unbridled glee. If you’re a party at a mediation session, it often means you’ve suffered in some way – be it financially, emotionally or physically.  Some parties struggle with pain (physical, psychological, emotional); others have seen their lives turned upside down by financial hardship.  While mediators do their best to address and minimize the suffering, there are some things we just can’t fix.

Constant exposure to tragic circumstances can be hard to cope with, and some mediation participants may find themselves mentally detaching from the pain they witness in others. This disconnect is often referred to as ‘compassion fatigue’.

What is Compassion Fatigue?

Compassion fatigue is defined as a gradual decrease in compassion experienced by professionals who witness trauma regularly. Compassion fatigue serves as an unconscious coping mechanism – the brain’s way of protecting itself from the emotional stress of exposure to trauma. Although compassion fatigue may provide temporary relief from emotional stress, long-time sufferers often experience burnout.

We often think of medical professionals – nurses, surgeons or psychiatrists – who are regularly exposed to and treat physical and psychological wounds left by trauma, as being at the highest risk of experiencing compassion fatigue. But, this condition isn’t reserved for the healthcare field.  Mediators, lawyers and mediation participants are also at risk of experiencing compassion fatigue.


Signs of Compassion Fatigue in Mediation

I see compassion fatigue on display most often in the mediation of personal injury cases, although it's certainly not unique to that area.  Insurance adjusters, faced with a steady stream of chronic pain claims, based exclusively on soft-tissue injuries, with no objective evidence of physical deficits or injuries, become numb (and jaded) to even legitimate and honest claims of suffering.

There are psychological and physical signs of compassion fatigue, and it’s important to be able to recognize them in all mediation participants. Below is a list of symptoms sourced from Compassion Fatigue Solutions, a consulting firm based in Kingston, Ontario.


Psychological Signs:

• Reduced ability to feel sympathy and empathy
  

• Emotional exhaustion
  

• Cynicism
  

• Insensitivity to emotional material
  

• Diminished sense of career enjoyment
  

• Feelings of professional helplessness
  

Physical Signs:

• Exhaustion
  

• Insomnia
  

• Headaches
  

• Somatization (translating emotional stress into physical symptoms)
  

The Road to Recovery

At its core, compassion fatigue is a coping mechanism. If you are recognizing compassion fatigue in yourself, it may be a sign that you need to find healthier ways of coping with exposure to suffering. Below, I offer a few approaches to help manage and recover from compassion fatigue.

• Develop a Self-Care Plan: Medical researchers John-Henry Pfifferling and Kay Gilley have developed a resource for medical professionals experiencing compassion fatigue. They recommend developing a self-care plan that helps reduce stress and meet emotional needs. They suggest spending quiet time alone, finding a way to recharge every day, and having at least one meaningful, connected conversation each day.

• Establish Professional Boundaries: Compassion fatigue can infiltrate your home and personal life. Establish professional boundaries to create space for yourself away from your work. At the end of each work day, commit to a routine that definitively ends your work time – sign out of your work email, turn off your work phone and record the time to make it real.  In the age of 24/7 connectedness, it may be easier said than done, but these small conscious actions may help ground you in the present and remove you from work worries.

• Attend a Workshop: There are many organizations out there dedicated to compassion fatigue recovery. In the Toronto area, the Canadian Mental Health Association lists one organization that offers assistance for those suffering from compassion fatigue. If you’re struggling with compassion fatigue, I encourage you to find a workshop near you.