7.6 Practice
Journal Prompts
- What ethical challenges do you see staff navigating, or have navigated yourself, at your placement site?
- What have been some ethical challenges for you in the past? How did you resolve them?
- How can equity play a part both in these dilemmas and in the proposed solutions?
Self-Care Activity
- Using Meditation as an Ethical Support and Safeguard: Nelly Kaufer LPC is a licensed professional counselor and psychotherapist in private practice who integrates Buddhist psychology into her clinical orientation. She has been teaching continuing education workshops integrating meditation and mindfulness to mental health professionals for about twenty-five years. She has pioneered continuing education workshops for clinical professionals exploring the role meditation can play in helping mental health professionals avoid ethical pitfalls. Ms. Kaufer bases her training on the idea that we are likely to be more mindful in our work if we are mindful in our lives outside of work. By not being mindful and present in our work, we might find ourselves tempted to shortcut processes or settle for easy answers that may not be the most ethical choice. The basis for this mindfulness is a practice of reflective meditation. Developing your own reflective meditation practice can be an excellent source of self-care nourishment. The instructions below have been provided by Nelly Kaufer LPC and Pine Street Sangha, Portland, Oregon.
These basic meditation instructions can be helpful for beginning meditators. If you already have a meditation practice, you can try these instructions, or you can meditate in the ways that you are accustomed.
In an open, unstructured meditation approach, there are many ways to meditate. You’ll find your way, and over time, it will change. By reflecting upon your meditative process, you become aware of how you’re meditating and how meditation supports and informs you. Here are some initial suggestions to get started.
Finding Structure
- Choose a comfortable position, maybe with the support of a chair or cushion. It’s easier to settle when you are comfortable.
- Find a quiet place where you’re likely not to be disturbed.
- Choose a length of time to meditate. Consider starting with 10-30 minutes. Don’t stress yourself trying to meditate for too long. Using a timer can help.
Moving Around
- Let your thoughts, feelings, emotions, and attention move around. Whatever arises in meditation is okay: nothing is inherently taboo. Let your attention go where it is drawn. This might not feel like “meditation,” though consider that this is another kind of meditation with different benefits.
- Try to keep your body still. If you become uncomfortable, move slowly and carefully into a more comfortable posture. Stillness in meditation develops with practice over time.
Settling In
- At times you may want to ground your attention, especially if things become chaotic or overwhelming. You need not stay for long, though sometimes you will