The challenges of being a healer during our own 'dark nights of the soul', from boundaries to nurturing self

Interview with Elizabeth Irias, LMFT

  • Course Description

    The last few years have led to increased burnout and compassion fatigue for therapists, and yet the need for the mental health services they provide has only grown, leaving therapists sometimes little room to tend to their own needs. This course explores how helping professionals can show up authentically for clients when going through their own ‘dark nights of the soul,’ and what it means for therapists to be in personal integrity in these confusing times. This course also discusses the concepts of boundaries, awareness of power, therapeutic ‘love’ from therapist to client, and the impact of therapist burnout on clinical outcomes.

  • Learning Objectives

    Upon completing this course, participants will be able to: Define the “shadow side” aspects self and its impact on helping professionals; List 3 or more strategies therapists can employ when they are going through a hard time in their own lives; Describe the clinical impact of therapist burnout on therapeutic outcomes


    Target Audience and Instructional Level
    This course is intended for psychologists, therapists, social workers, clinical counselors, and addiction counselors. Instructional level: Intermediate

  • How To Take This Course

    In order to receive a certificate of completion reflecting the associated CE credit hour, you must:
    #1: Have an active paid Clearly Clinical membership
    #2: Listen to the corresponding course podcast
    #3: Achieve a passing grade on the post-presentation test (the test has up to ten questions and you must earn a score of at least 80%; you are able to re-test)
    #4: Complete the requested course evaluation.

    Course elements (including the course audio, post-test, and requested course evaluation) can be completed on a computer or mobile device via your Clearly Clinical account.

  • Course Format

    This high-quality and interesting course contains a one-hour, non-interactive audio podcast presentation which is available for free via all major public podcast providers. You can also listen to and download the file via our course player.

  • Commercial Support

    There is no known commercial support or conflict of interest for this CE program, presenter, sponsor, instructor, or content. The instructor, Julia Aziz, mentions her website/training as potential resources to learn more about this topic.

  • Certificate Access Details

    Once you've completed the course, your certificate will automatically populate in the 'Certificate' section of your account; it will also be emailed to you. Access to completion certificate will expire 365 days after issuance. Course certificates will be on file for ten (10) years from date of course completion.

  • Accommodations

    If you have special needs or need an accommodation, please email us at info@clearlyclinical.com and we will do our best to assist you.

Interviewer and Interviewee

Julia Aziz, LCSW-S, Rev.

'Therapy for Therapists' Expert

Julia Aziz, LCSW-S, Rev. is a holistic psychotherapist, ordained ceremonialist, group facilitator, teacher, and author. She has over twenty years of experience counseling, facilitating groups, and training mental health and other helping professionals. Julia helps women who give a lot of attention to others heal their own struggles with anxiety, grief, burnout, and all kinds of life transitions. In addition to being a therapist for therapists, she offers the Release & Empower Women’s Circle, a space for helping professionals, moms, and other emotional caregivers to heal and empower themselves in community. She is also the author of two books, Lessons of Labor and When You're Having A Hard Time: The Little Book That Listens . Please visit her at JuliaAziz.com .

Elizabeth 'Beth' Irias, MS, LMFT

Interviewer & Clearly Clinical Founder

Elizabeth 'Beth' Irias (she/her) is a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and the Founder and President of Clearly Clinical. She has specializations in Clinical Documentation, Best Practice, and Utilization Review, and works closely with clinical teams across the US as a trainer and national conference presenter; Beth was formerly an adjunct professor at Pepperdine University in the Graduate Psychology and Education department. Licensed in California and Oregon, she provides therapy via her private practice to young adult and adult clients, members of the LGBTQ population, and those with addictive disorders. She has two young children, a super cool spouse who helps out with Clearly Clinical's tech, and a rescue dog.

See why we're the country's premier CE provider

  • CONVENIENT: All courses are 1-hour podcast episodes, available on all public podcast platforms

  • AFFORDABLE: We offer quality CE courses through a reasonably-priced membership

  • SOCIALLY-RESPONSIBLE: We donate to The Trevor Project for LGBTQIA+ youth suicide prevention

  • WOMEN-OWNED: We are founded and run by Elizabeth Irias, LMFT

  • DIVERSE: We highlight expert presenters from historically-marginalized communities

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