"Vicarious trauma" refers to the emotional and psychological distress that results from hearing about or witnessing traumatic events experienced by others. It's when we indirectly experience the trauma of someone else and it affects us mentally.
Full definition
This secondary form of trauma, known
as vicarious trauma, can develop from a single event or over a period of time.
In the video below, Psychologist Ellie Izzo, author of The Bridge to I am: Rapid Advance Psychotherapy and co-author with Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Vicki Carpel Miller of Second Hand Shock: Surviving and
Overcoming Vicarious Trauma, discusses collaborative divorce in the wake of the Tiger Woods divorce:
In this experiential workshop, we will discuss our own experiences
with vicarious trauma, vicarious resilience, and self - care practices.
«Over time, I believe we will get to the point where psychological injury arising
from vicarious trauma is a well recognised work, health and safety issue.»
Being in a supportive role to someone who is managing the impacts of trauma can be challenging, and may result
in vicarious trauma or compassion fatigue.
Vicarious trauma affects teachers» brains in much the same way that it affects their students»: The brain emits a fear response, releasing excessive cortisol and adrenaline that can increase heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration, and release a flood of emotions.
Dr. Evans acknowledged the prevalence and importance of
addressing vicarious trauma (VT), which is the is result of exposure to trauma experienced by others, generally within a workplace.
We reached out to trauma - informed experts and educators around the country to get their recommendations for in - the - moment coping strategies and preventative measures to help teachers
process vicarious trauma.
Silvina specializes in working with survivors of trauma and also offers workshops
on Vicarious Trauma of therapists, first responders, and the legal and medical community.
Jackie Burke Assoc MAPS *, a psychologist and clinical director of Rape and Domestic Violence Services Australia, says
while vicarious trauma is extremely common it's not classed as a mental health disorder.
Ms Burke says the program, which won a WorkCover NSW Work Safe Award, now acts as a foundation for other trauma - exposed workforces to implement their own
vicarious trauma management programs.
In the final session, parents learn
about vicarious trauma and secondary traumatic stress that can affect parents and detract from their ability to be supportive, present caregivers.
The symptoms of
vicarious trauma vary across individuals, but most center around a preoccupation with and stress over students» traumatic experiences.
It's up to each individual to find community and reach out
if vicarious trauma begins to weigh heavily.
Yet even with such conversations normalized, I still felt a deep sense of failure when I realized that I was
carrying vicarious trauma myself.
Critically analyze information presented and choose to apply relevant techniques for strengthening your ability to
avoid vicarious trauma.
Courtois (2008)
defined vicarious trauma as a special form of counter transference stimulated by exposure to the client's traumatic material.
You will also learn what it means to attach to one's self as the cornerstone for all healing, the importance of congruent emotional expression in the playroom, how to identify types of dysregulation in the child's sand trays, how to model regulating activities, and ultimately how to re-pattern a child's nervous system while taking care of your own nervous system to
prevent vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue.
Many service providers are affected
by vicarious trauma and they too can benefit from processing their experience, including emotional responses.
Ms Burke says employees can also offset some of the milder symptoms of
vicarious trauma using individual self - care strategies, such as physical exercise.
She says organisations can effectively
manage vicarious trauma, and mitigate its risk, through a robust multi-pronged management program with strategies including education, risk reduction processes, monitoring processes, early intervention and proactive symptom responses.
Ms Burke, who has worked in sexual assault, family and domestic violence for 18 years, co-pioneered the introduction of a
unique Vicarious Trauma Management Program at Rape and Domestic Violence Services Australia 11 years ago.
«The actual symptoms in terms of intrusions, avoidance, arousal problems, and negative alterations to mood or thinking are very similar across people suffering from PTSD and people suffering
from vicarious trauma - type symptoms,» she says.
For teachers, who are directly exposed to a large number of young people with trauma in their work, a secondary type of trauma, known
as vicarious trauma, is a big risk.
It can be hard to leave work at work, but to
address vicarious trauma, teachers need to create clear boundaries between work and home life.
We reached out to trauma - informed experts and educators around the country to get their recommendations for in - the - moment coping strategies and preventative measures to help teachers
process vicarious trauma.
While vicarious trauma will never be eliminated from trauma - exposed workplaces, it is possible for organisations to effectively manage it, which has been shown to reduce attrition rates and unplanned absences, and boost the workplace culture.
Right now we are discussing in class
about vicarious trauma; something that I'm very interested in right now too, and I found your book in amazon.
In recent years, there's also been a growing awareness around ensuring not just the physical but also the psychological wellbeing of employees, with more organisations now working to manage the impact
of vicarious trauma in the workplace.
Jason March, founding editor - in - chief of Greater Good, describes how educators and parents can help protect children and themselves from the effects of
vicarious trauma.
We recently spoke with Micere Keels, an associate professor at the University of Chicago and founder of the TREP Project, a trauma - informed curriculum for urban teachers, on how to identify and navigate
vicarious trauma.
We were fortunate — school leaders prioritized conversations among staff about wellness and
vicarious trauma.
Sometimes called the «cost of caring,»
vicarious trauma can result from «hearing [people's] trauma stories and becom [ing] witnesses to the pain, fear, and terror that trauma survivors have endured,» according to the American Counseling Association.
If you lack motivation, avoid specific students, or are chronically late, these could all be the effects of
vicarious trauma.
To protect yourself from
vicarious trauma, it's important to understand its impact, recognize its symptoms, and develop preventive strategies to take care of yourself.
Dedication to self - care and the awareness that this work often leads to
vicarious trauma or compassion fatigue - the commitment to prevention of burnout through weekly clinical supervision.