{"id":32377,"date":"2016-07-14T11:24:07","date_gmt":"2016-07-14T18:24:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/?page_id=32377"},"modified":"2016-07-14T11:24:07","modified_gmt":"2016-07-14T18:24:07","slug":"vicarious-trauma","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/vicarious-trauma\/","title":{"rendered":"Vicarious Trauma"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"PersonVicarious trauma,<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0also known as secondary trauma,\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong>can be described as indirect exposure to a traumatic event through first-hand account or narrative of that event. People in the\u00c2\u00a0helping professions\u00e2\u20ac\u201dcounselors and therapists, rescue workers, police officers, doctors, and lawyers\u00e2\u20ac\u201dmay be at risk of\u00c2\u00a0vicarious traumatization. Any person who has a significant relationship with a survivor of trauma<\/a> may also come to experience secondary traumatization.<\/p>\n

Understanding Vicarious Trauma<\/h2>\n

Therapists and other helpers often hear stories of traumatic experiences in the course of their work. At times, hearing these stories may overwhelm them\u00c2\u00a0and lead\u00c2\u00a0them to\u00c2\u00a0experience, to a lesser extent, the same feelings faced by\u00c2\u00a0the trauma survivors in their care.\u00c2\u00a0Vicarious trauma typically involves a shift in the world view of the helper. The helper’s\u00c2\u00a0beliefs about the world may be\u00c2\u00a0altered and\/or damaged by repeated exposure to traumatic material, for example.<\/p>\n

Compassion fatigue<\/a> and burnout<\/a> are related concepts that share some similarities with vicarious trauma, and a person might find themselves experiencing\u00c2\u00a0one or more of these states at the same time.<\/p>\n

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Find a Therapist<\/a><\/h2>\n\t
\n\n\t\t\t\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\tAdvanced Search<\/a>\n\t<\/form>\n<\/div>Compassion fatigue is the condition\u00c2\u00a0of emotional and physical fatigue that results when helpers feel compassion<\/a> for those they help but do not have adequate time away from caring for others to refuel and care for themselves. It differs\u00c2\u00a0from vicarious trauma in that it is not typically characterized by the presence of trauma-related symptoms and does not necessarily involve a change in one\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s world view.<\/p>\n

Burnout is a term sometimes used interchangeably with vicarious trauma, but this condition does not necessarily involve a traumatic element. People can experience burnout when they have a toxic work environment<\/a> or when they feel themselves to be doing tedious or otherwise trying work without getting enough time for rest or appropriate self-care<\/a>.<\/p>\n

All helping professionals may be at risk, but those who work with children\u00c2\u00a0and\u00c2\u00a0survivors of sexual abuse and assault<\/a> may have a higher risk of experiencing vicarious trauma.<\/p>\n

Symptoms of Vicarious Trauma<\/strong><\/h2>\n

People respond to vicarious trauma in many ways. Some people are more affected than others and may experience a wider range of symptoms, which generally fall into one of\u00c2\u00a0five categories:<\/p>\n