Research Paper

Research Paper

Students are expected to complete a research paper on the information presented during the lecture combined with original source (peer-review) material obtained by the student. The successful paper will:

1. Explain at least three indicators of burnout and compassion fatigue specific to mental health professionals, supported by current research and lived professional examples.

2. Portray trauma-informed and somatic-based strategies (e.g., breathwork, grounding, and reflective writing) to enhance nervous system regulation and emotional resilience.

3. Identify internal parts or subpersonalities that contribute to over-functioning, people-pleasing, or self-neglect using Internal Family Systems (IFS)-inspired mapping exercises.

4. Discuss how to develop a personalized Wellness Compass plan that integrates evidence-based self-care rituals, reflective practices, and community accountability to promote long-term sustainability in clinical practice.

The paper’s length is six double-spaced pages; papers of less than six pages in length will result in a no credit grade.

• Cover pages and reference pages do not count toward the six page minimum; there must be at least six pages of text in your paper.

The lecture must be cited as source material, and at least three outside sources (from peer-reviewed journals or academic books) must also be cited in the paper and included in the reference section. Please note that your reference section should only contain sources cited in the text of your paper. The paper should be written in essay format (as opposed to a list or bullet-points) with considerable discussion of the features and characteristics described.

Using websites as sources is not acceptable and may result in a no credit grade for the paper. Further, students are to use their own words do not use direct quotes in your paper!

The paper is due by 11:59 PM on June 20, 2025. Please submit your paper by uploading into the D2L Drop Box.

• Word (.doc, .docx)
• OpenDocument Text (.odt)
• Rich text format (.rtf)

Sending the paper in any other format will result in no credit. Submitting a late paper is very likely to result in a no credit grade.

Paper Formatting

Regarding formatting, there should be no more than a one inch margin around pages, and 12-point, Times New Roman font should be used. Double space the papers text and include your name in the header. Do not start the first page of text any lower than one inch from the top of the page. Number the pages.

Be sure to meet the six page minimum. Stated page minimums refer to pages of text. A cover page or reference page does not count as a page in your paper. Thus, a six page paper should have at least six full pages of text.

The manner in which references are cited should closely resemble the formatting requirements of the American Psychological Association. For a rough guideline to APA format, please see sites such as: