Self-Care 101: Building Resilience, Preventing Burnout, and Creating Sustainable Work-Life Balance - EDC-X799T

Course Description

Credit Validation for Dr. Gwen's Counselor Cafe Participants Only

Today's educators, school leaders, counselors, and helping professionals face increasing demands that can lead to stress and burnout. For longevity and sustainability, they must intentionally prioritize their own wellness, resilience, and work-life balance. Professional codes of ethics from both the American Counseling Association (ACA) and the Association of American Educators (AAE) recognize self-care as an essential component of ethical and effective practice.

Self-Care 101: Building Resilience, Preventing Burnout, and Creating Sustainable Work-Life Balance is an evidence-informed, self-paced course designed to help participants strengthen self-awareness, prevent burnout, and build sustainable wellness habits. Through self-assessments, guided reflection, experiential activities, and action planning, participants will identify barriers to well-being, establish meaningful SMART goals, and develop a personalized self-care plan. By the end of the course, participants will have practical tools and strategies to enhance resilience, improve work-life balance, and support long-term personal and professional success.

Whether you are an educator, counselor, administrator, nonprofit professional, healthcare worker, or organizational leader, this course provides the tools you need to care for yourself while continuing to effectively serve others.

Learner Outcomes

• Increase self-awareness through structured reflection and self-analysis
• Identify personal barriers to maintaining work-life balance
• Develop SMART wellness goals that support sustainable behavior change
• Create a personalized personal protection plan for preventing burnout
• Design a comprehensive, realistic self-care plan for long-term success

Course Details

PLEASE READ ALL COURSE DETAILS

IMPORTANT: YOU MUST ENROLL WITH THE PARTNERED ORGANIZATION AND PAY ALL REQUIRED FEES BEFORE PURCHASING UNITS THROUGH USD.

Number of Units: 0.5 - 3.0 graduate level extension credit(s) in semester hours. 

Who Should Attend: This course provides continuing education for Dr. Gwen's Counselor Cafe Participants.

University of San Diego – Graduate-Level Extension Credit Information

The University of San Diego partners with this program to offer graduate-level extension credit(s) in semester hours through the Credit Validation Program. To earn units, participants must register for and successfully complete coursework through the external program provider.

Credits earned through USD’s Credit Validation Program are widely accepted by many school districts and universities across the United States for purposes such as license renewal, required professional development hours, short-term skill building, salary advancement, credentialing, and potential advanced degree pathways.

These units do not apply toward a master’s or higher degree program at the University of San Diego; however, they may be transferable to advanced degree programs (e.g., MA, EdD, PhD) at other institutions that accept external graduate-level credits.

Participants are responsible for confirming acceptance, transcript requirements, deadlines, and applicability of units with their employing district or intended institution prior to enrollment.

Directions to Enroll for Credit 

Step 1: Register with the Partner Organization
Complete your registration directly with the partner organization. Follow their instructions to begin the course and pay any required enrollment fees.

• Homepage: Dr. Gwen's Counselor CAFE 
• Enroll: Self-care 101 Course
• Contact Info: 
  • Email: drgwen@drgwenscounselorcafe.com
  • Phone: (912) 401-7115

Please Note: USD does not provide course materials, manage instruction, or assign grades. All coursework is evaluated by the program’s instructor or coordinator.

Step 2: Complete the Course 
Participate fully in the course through the partner organization and complete all required assignments, activities, and assessments. (Some courses, specifically DoDEA courses, may require participants to purchase units before the course ends; please check the enrollment window for details.)

Step 3: Register for University Credit
After confirming your registration with the partner organization and completing your program, return to USD’s website.

• Locate the same course on our listings page
• Click Add to Cart
• Click Check Out
• You will be prompted to either log into your USD Student Account or create one, and then pay for your units

If this course displays Request Information, it means the course is either not yet open for enrollment (please check the enrollment dates) or enrollment has already closed. If enrollment has closed, you may still contact the organization directly to see if they will accept a late enrollment or if the course will be offered again in the future.

Step 4: Submit your Certificate of Completion
After completing this course, you are required to submit your certificate of completion, which will be provided by your program. Please be sure to purchase your credits first, then email your certificate to pce-cv@sandiego.edu, including the course number in your message.

Step 5: Receive Your Transcript
No further action is needed. Once your grade has been processed, USD will issue an official transcript reflecting your earned university credit. Transcripts are mailed to the address listed in your USD student account. 

Transcript Process: Once we receive your certificate of completion, we will begin processing your transcript. Participants are responsible for ensuring that their mailing address is accurate and up to date in their USD student account to avoid delays in transcript delivery.

Transcript Delivery Timeline:

• U.S. addresses: 2–3 weeks
• International addresses: 3–4 weeks

For detailed information regarding the University of San Diego Credit Validation Program, please consult our Participant Guide.

Need additional university credit or CEUs? Visit the Credit Validation Course Catalog to explore available credit options.

If you would like to purchase Continuing Education Units (CEUs) instead of USD Graduate-Level Extension Credit (GLEC), CEU participants will receive a Confirmation of Completion Letter documenting the CEUs earned, which can be downloaded and provided as a PDF for professional records. Click here to view the CEU option.