Vicarious Trauma, also known as Compassion Fatigue or Secondary Traumatic Stress, refers to the cumulative effect of working with survivors of traumatic life events. Signs of Vicarious Trauma may include feeling overwhelmed, negative emotions, health problems, diminished self-worth, and avoiding work duties.
Therapists who work with young traumatized children have between a six percent and 26 percent risk of experiencing Vicarious Trauma due to repeated exposure to trauma stories and their empathic relationship with children who may be difficult to engage with. Additional risk factors include blurred boundaries, the inability to say "no", a history of personal trauma, and repeated exposure to traumatic stories or events.
Strategies for coping at work include seeking support from others, seeking supervision, maintaining appropriate boundaries with clients, decreasing your case load, striving for balance between work and your personal life, and practicing self-care and relaxation techniques.
For more information, visit the National Child Traumatic Stress Network and download the NCTSN Secondary Traumatic Stress Fact Sheet.
National Child Traumatic Stress Learning Center (5.03.12). Emotional challenges and self-care for those working with young traumatized children. Retrieved May 3, 2012, from http://learn.NCTSN.org.
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