Vicarious Trauma and Compassion Fatigue – The Cost of Caring

Introduction

The therapist’s empathy and ability to witness are key aspects of not just our professional ability but also of our humanity. However, when we are constantly exposed to traumatic stories or seemingly intractable problems, our compassion can become eroded and we can begin to feel helpless and hopeless. Left unacknowledged this can result in the development of Vicarious Trauma and Compassion Fatigue and if not addressed we may develop Secondary Traumatic Stress Disorder which mirrors our clients’ PTSD.

Course Content

In this one day interactive workshop comprising both theoretical and practical elements we will:

• Examine the characteristics of Vicarious Trauma and Compassion Fatigue;
• Identify any characteristics that we may be experiencing;
• Reflect on how we may be unconsciously defending against Vicarious Trauma or Compassion Fatigue it in the therapy room and possibly unknowingly silencing our clients;
• Develop an ethical and self-tailored care plan to help increase our resilience in the face of secondary traumatic injuries such as Compassion Fatigue and Vicarious Trauma in a bid to move towards compassion resilience.