Boundaries and the Art of Compassionate Detachment

As I work with advocates I often find that many of them struggle with maintaining healthy boundaries with the survivors with whom they work on a daily basis.  It is so hard to listen to the stories of abuse and see the effects of trauma without ending up giving a little bit more of ourselves until we are eventually drained and feeling our own loss of hope.  There is also a tendency, at times, to enter into special relationships with people with whom we feel a connection.  This may feel like friendship to someone who hasn't many friends or like parenting to someone who feels the need to connect with a motherly figure. It feels good in the short term, but can eventually lead to hurt feelings and a break in the relationship.

We talk about establishing healthy boundaries in our world.  Sometimes this can feel like we are cutting ourselves off from people in order to preserve the advocate/survivor relationship.  However, we can also lend ourselves to the idea of "compassionate detachment."  This allows us to still be caring but we separate ourselves from the outcome of the relationship.  We remember that the person's growth is a process to which we are caring witnesses.  We witness their emerging  power rather than impose our own will and desires.  We also are compassionate with our selves by letting go of the outcome.

Here are a few good articles I found on compassionate detachment that I hope you will find helpful.

https://realbalancewellness.wordpress.com/2011/05/11/compassionate-detachment-the-being-and-doing-of-coaching-part-one/

http://helenabbott.com/coaching-and-personal-development/compassionate-detachment-what-the/

http://www.rewiringthesoul.com/2008/07/compassionate-detachment.html