What if the very wounds that drew you into helping others are also the ones quietly putting you at risk of burnout? On this thoughtful and deeply affirming episode of M.E.S.H., Dr. Pamela Brewer welcomes back Dr. Adam McCormick, professor of social work at St. Edward’s University and author of Healing the Helping Professional: The Unfinished Business of Childhood Trauma. Together they turn the familiar phrase “hurt people hurt people” on its head, exploring how so many caregivers, clinicians, and helpers were shaped by early adversity into people of remarkable kindness, compassion, and emotional intuition. Dr. McCormick shares his own story of growing up as his father’s “social worker,” unpacks why the same gifts that make us extraordinary at this work can leave us most vulnerable to compassion fatigue, and offers a hopeful path forward through self-awareness, supervision, and reconnecting with our authentic needs. This is an empowering conversation for anyone in a helping role who has ever wondered whether there’s room in this work for them, too.
