How do graduate psychology students experience self-care in relation to stress? A heuristic exploration

The purpose of this study was to understand how students in graduate psychology programs practice self-care in the context of stress management and well-being. To develop training programs which integrate self-care, it is important to first identify and understand meanings that students assign to coping with stress. The ability to stand in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds and balance of mind, body and spirit were the collective meanings identifed through student interviews. To fully capture the human experience of coping with stress, a heuristic method was used. The participants were six females and one male ranging in age from 21 to 60 years old. Participants were enrolled in a clinical PsyD program and had completed at least three terms of clinical practicum. Three primary themes were identified which spoke to the collective experiences of how graduate students manage stress. These included: (a) the manner in which graduate students manage stress is influenced by previous experience(s), (b) current situations and the student's state of being (i.e. mental, physical, emotional health) directly impact how students manage and/or respond to stress, and (c) a student's resources for support directly impacts resiliency. Recommendations based upon these finding are discussed.;Key words: Graduate Psychology Student, Stress, Self-care.