Handout#5

Self-Care Assessment
The following self-care assessment scale is by Saakvitne and Pearlman from the Traumatic
Stress Institute. It is designed as a tool to measure how well you are addressing your own
needs. It is useful to revisit this assessment regularly.

Rate the following areas in frequency:

5=frequently, 4=occasionally, 3=rarely, 2=never, and 1=it never occurred to me.

Physical Self-Care ___ Notice your inner experience – listen to

your thoughts, judgments, beliefs,
___ Eat regularly (e.g. breakfast, lunch and attitudes and feelings
dinner) ___ Let others know different aspects of you
___ Eat healthily ___ Engage your intelligence in a new area
___ Exercise (e.g. go to an art museum, history exhibit,
___ Get regular medical care for prevention sports event, auction, theater
___ Get medical care when needed performance)
___ Take time off when sick ___ Practice receiving from others
___ Get massages ___ Be curious
___ Dance, swim, walk, run, play sports, sing, ___ Say no to extra responsibilities sometimes
or do some other physical activity that is
fun Emotional Self-Care
___ Take time to be sexual – with yourself,
with a partner ___ Spend time with others whose company
___ Get enough sleep who enjoy
___ Wear clothes you like ___ Stay in contact with important people in
___ Take vacations your life
___ Take day-trips or mini-vacations ___ Give yourself affirmations, praise yourself
___ Make time away from telephones ___ Love yourself
___ Reread your favorite books, review
Psychological Self-Care favorite movies
___ Identify comforting activities, objects,
___ Make time for self-reflection people, relationships, places, and seek
___ Have your own personal psychotherapy them out
___ Write in a journal ___ Allow yourself to cry
___ Read literature that is unrelated to work ___ Find things that make you laugh
___ Do something at which you are not ___ Express your outrage in social action,
expert or in charge of letters, donations, marches and protests
___ Decrease stress in your life ___ Play with children

NEW Partnership for Children and Families & Behavioral Health Training Partnership ·University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
Secondary Traumatic Stress: Building Resilience in Staff
Adapted from Saakvitne, K.W. & Pearlman, A. (1996). Transforming the Pain: A Workbook on Vicarious Traumatization
Developed: April 2009 Revised: November 2011
May be reproduced with permission from original source for training purposes
 Handout#5

Rate the following areas in frequency:

5=frequently, 4=occasionally, 3=rarely, 2=never, and 1=it never occurred to me.

Spiritual Self Care Workplace or Professional Self-Care

___ Make time for reflection ___ Take a break during the workday (e.g.
___ Spend time with nature lunch)
___ Find a spiritual connection or community ___ Take time to chat with co-workers
___ Be open to inspiration ___ Make quiet time to complete tasks
___ Cherish your optimism and hope ___ Identify projects or tasks that are exciting
___ Be aware of non-material aspects of life and rewarding
___ Try at times not to be in charge or the ___ Set limits with clients and colleagues
expert ___ Balance your caseload so no one day or
___ Be open to not knowing part of a day is “too much”
___ Identify what is meaningful to you and ___ Arrange your work space so it is
notice its place in your life comfortable and comforting
___ Meditate ___ Get regular supervision or consultation
___ Pray ___ Negotiate for your needs (benefits, pay
___ Sing raise)
___ Spend time with children ___ Have a peer support group
___ Have experiences of awe ___ Develop a non-trauma area of
___ Contribute to causes in which you believe professional interest
___ Read inspirational literature (e.g. talks,
music) Balance

___ Strive for balance within your work life

and work day
___ Strive for balance among work, family,
relationships, play and rest

From Transforming the Pain: A Workbook on Vicarious Traumatization by Karen W. Saakvitne

and Laurie Anne Pearlman. Copyright 1996 by the Traumatic Stress Institute/Center for Adult
and Adolescent Psychotherapy.

NEW Partnership for Children and Families & Behavioral Health Training Partnership ·University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
Secondary Traumatic Stress: Building Resilience in Staff
Adapted from Saakvitne, K.W. & Pearlman, A. (1996). Transforming the Pain: A Workbook on Vicarious Traumatization
Developed: April 2009 Revised: November 2011
May be reproduced with permission from original source for training purposes
 Handout#5

Making a Commitment to Yourself Action Plan

Write down three things you can do to address secondary trauma for each arena: professional
and personal.

Professional

1. ___________________________________________________________

2. ___________________________________________________________

3. ___________________________________________________________

Personal

1. ___________________________________________________________

2. ___________________________________________________________

3. ___________________________________________________________

NEW Partnership for Children and Families & Behavioral Health Training Partnership ·University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
Secondary Traumatic Stress: Building Resilience in Staff
Adapted from Saakvitne, K.W. & Pearlman, A. (1996). Transforming the Pain: A Workbook on Vicarious Traumatization
Developed: April 2009 Revised: November 2011
May be reproduced with permission from original source for training purposes