vicarious traumatization | Momentum Psychology

VICARIOUS TRAUMA

Forming powerful human connections is an important part of your job.

You’re a helping professional and you have regular, if not, daily experience with human grief, loss, or suffering. You might be a lawyer or judge who is often involved in difficult cases involving children and families.

You aren’t sure how to leave pain you’ve witnessed at work when you leave for the day.

It’s important to you to help others while still taking care of your self and your family.

Sadly, there is this misconception in many of these professions that we can walk through this water and somehow not get wet. Educational programs rarely cover the unintended consequences of witnessing human suffering. You have to make connections with the people you help, but you shouldn’t have to sacrifice your own well-being for your career.

The following terms are often used to describe the unintended psychological harm that comes with working with traumatized clients:

Secondary traumatic stress

This is a condition that mimics post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It happens when a person is indirectly exposed to traumatic stories in a clinical encounter. This indirect exposure typically occurs when you work with traumatized individuals or hearing distressing stories of traumatic events.

Compassion fatigue

Although it’s very similar to secondary traumatic stress, there’s one important difference. Secondary traumatic stress is specific to those individuals who treat populations. But, compassion fatigue is used to describe individuals who treat many different types of people.

Vicarious trauma

Vicarious trauma is what happens to a professional’s way of thinking as a result of chronic exposure and empathizing with clients’ traumatic experiences.

Burnout and Stress

Burnout happens when you get to a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by intense and prolonged stress.

HOW CAN VICARIOUS TRAUMA THERAPY HELP?

Despite the widespread need, there are few interventions designed to address these conditions. And, unfortunately, even fewer providers trained in these methods. Experts have predicted that these interventions will be more important in the coming weeks.

Especially, as we address the “second wave” of mental health disorders caused by the Coronavirus pandemic. In my training and experience in trauma, I trained in specific interventions for professionals who have experienced secondary traumatic stress, vicarious traumatization, compassion fatigue, and chronic burnout.

I was recently interviewed by the American Bar Association regarding the impact of secondary traumatic stress and vicarious traumatization on lawyers.

IN VICARIOUS TRAUMA THERAPY, I WILL HELP YOU:

Increase values-based, goal-directed activity
Understand the neuroscience behind traumatic stress reactions
Engage intentionally with clients and patients
Handle difficult thoughts by shifting to more goal-directed, concrete, experiential, and specific activity
Improve relationships and social connection
Improve your focused attention and keep you from overthinking
Enhance parasympathetic nervous system recovery. This means I will teach you calming and coping techniques to deal with the symptoms of vicarious trauma.

WHO IS MOST AT RISK FOR VICARIOUS TRAUMA?

First responders or emergency providers
Mental health professionals
Physicians Healthcare providers
Lawyers and judges
Social workers
Humanitarian or human rights workers
Journalists
Clergy

MY HOPE IS THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO MANAGE AND ENGAGE MORE EFFECTIVELY AT WORK WHILE PRIORITIZING YOUR SELF-CARE AND RELATIONSHIPS.

BEGIN VICARIOUS TRAUMA THERAPY

You don’t have to let your workplace experiences affect your life. Together we can work towards finding a healthy work-life balance and increase your coping skills to manage the trauma you see at work. To begin therapy in Charlotte, NC, please follow these steps:

Fill out this form or call our office to request an appointment. Once we receive it, you will be contacted by our client care coordinator.
Schedule an intake appointment with Dr. Jan Newman and learn more about vicarious trauma therapy.
Begin therapy for vicarious trauma and learn tools to cope with the stress of your job overcome the challenges keeping you from maintaining healthy boundaries in your personal life.

OTHER SERVICES OFFERED BY DR. JAN NEWMAN

In addition to therapy for professionals, I also offer a variety of mental health services at my Charlotte, NC therapy office and online. In my practice, I work with clients in all stages of their lives and work with teens, college students, adults, and parents. I offer therapy for anxiety and anxiety-related disorders, trauma, vicarious trauma, and life transitions. You may also realize that you don’t need therapy and that executive coaching may be more your style. I am able to offer those services as well. Also, please visit my blog which offers mental health information on relevant topics. Please contact my office to hear more about the many ways I can help you thrive and be successful in your personal and professional life.

References

Miller, B., & Sprang, G. (2017). A components-based practice and supervision model for reducing compassion fatigue by affecting clinician experience. Traumatology, 23(2), 153.

West, C. P., Dyrbye, L. N., Erwin, P. J., & Shanafelt, T. D. (2016). Interventions to prevent and reduce physician burnout: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet, 388(10057), 2272-2281.