Why We Take Client Stories Home With Us, with Brenda Humphreys

How do you learn to value yourself when your workday requires holding space for everyone else's emotional burden? Kristen Plake speaks with hospice social worker Brenda Humphreys about counter-transference and what happens when a patient's story hits too close to home. Together, they unpack how internal emotional awareness and firm boundaries help you stay present without carrying work weight into your personal life.
Some takeaways:
Assess emotional dynamics first to adjust your response to others.
Prioritize internal emotional awareness over focusing only on external demands.
Compartmentalize emotions intentionally to build strength instead of creating internal fog.
Avoid betraying your own needs while trying to support everyone else.
Ask yourself what unfinished weight you are still carrying after work.
Still carrying work home long after your day ends? Join the priority list for Women Under Pressure Coaching, where the first five spots go to listeners.
Connect with Kristen:
🌐 Frontline Wellness Group
📋 Free High Pressure Leadership Assessment
🎙️ Work with Kristen
↗️ Join Women Under Pressure Coaching
📱 Instagram
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:31 Meet Brenda Humphreys
03:14 Reading Emotional Cues in High Pressure Situations
05:20 When a Patient’s Story Mirrors Your Own Life
08:27 Recognizing When Personal Emotions Affect Your Work
10:25 Understanding Countertransference in Helping Professions
12:05 Processing Emotions You Cannot Address in the Moment
15:44 A Three Minute Practice for Emotional Awareness
17:47 Why Self Worth Must Come Before Self Sacrifice
20:17 Setting Boundaries Without Taking Away Others’ Independence
23:31 Learning to Decompress and Restore Your Emotional Energy
25:50 Working Through Pressure Without Losing Yourself​
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.