Eric Gentry – Certification Training for Compassion Fatigue Professionals (CCFP)

This is an intermediate-Level certification and a course that is open for all care-Giving professionally or as a volunteer. You can regain your sense of purpose, purpose, hope, and joy by becoming a certified compassionate fatigue professional.

1. Understanding of the historical developments in the field of care giving that gave rise to the concept of compassion fatigue (e.g., diagnosis of PTSD being included in DSM—III, vicarious trauma, burnout research, etc)
2. Capability to explain the causes of compassion fatigue using its two main components, secondary traumatic stress (STS) and burnout.
3. Understanding the symptoms and possible effects of compassion fatigue is essential.
4. Administration and interpretation of assessment instruments to assess compassion fatigue. for Self and others who are primarily focused on the Pro-QOL (Stamm (2005)
5. Awareness of and ability to narrate one’s own personal/professional history that has lead to negative effects associated with professional and/or volunteer care giving.
6. Understanding the role of perceived threat and sympathetic nervous systems dominance in the generation compassion fatigue symptoms. And, conversely understanding the role of self-Regulation to mitigate current and prevent future effects.
7. Identify the process (i.e. “infection”) of secondary traumatic stress—how does a professional become gradually symptomatic when working with traumatized and suffering others?
8. You should be aware of how to use (a), connection/support, (b) relaxation, (c) exposure/narrative in order to relieve symptoms and prevent secondary traumatic stress.

10. Skilled application of CBT tools (e.g., relaxation, exposure and perceptual change) to lessen the effects of compassion fatigue in one’s own life.

11. Intentionality and principle are important.-As a method of caregiving, based care giving (i.e. internal locus control) is an option for Resilience and symptom improvement.

12. Capability to articulate and understand the effects that compassion fatigue has on professional maturation.

13. The ability to comprehend and articulate the specific steps, trajectory, and tasks that are associated with professional maturation. This will help you increase your resilience.

14. Create and communicate a model for professional resilience that allows care providers to be fully functional and healthy, independent of the environment. “demands” (internal control vs. exterior control)

15. Recognize five (5) key resiliency skills for The prevention of compassion fatigue, and how to use these skills for the prevention or negative work-Similar effects

16. Demonstrate the capacity to create a self-Professionally directed resiliency plan.