WVNPA Webinar: 3 Keys to Getting Unstuck from Compassion Fatigue

“Compassion fatigue” has been well-documented among disaster and other relief workers who can find themselves overwhelmed by the scale of loss, grief, and ongoing suffering. A more subtle, cumulative compassion fatigue can affect anyone from parents, to health care providers, to helping professionals. Drawing on his personal experience of 25 years of pastoral ministry and on more recent insights gained from professional life coaching and training, Dana will describe the values and internal processes that drive most “helpers,” self-awareness of which is the first step toward overcoming or preventing compassion fatigue. He will also offer steps for creating more sustainable personal and organizational mindsets and practices for helpers.

About the Presenter: 

Dana Sutton is a former pastor and campus minister (Marshall University), who became a certified professional life coach in 2014. He partners with those who work to make the lives of others better – often at significant cost to themselves – to help them find more sustainable and enjoyable pathways. His wife, Jean, is a counselor in private practice in Barboursville. He is also an adjunct faculty member at Marshall, and spends his fun time playing sports (soccer, basketball), music, or whatever allows him to be with family and friends.