Vicarious Trauma: Day After Day, the Price Therapists Pay

Presented by Ellie Izzo, PhD, LPC on 06-09-2017 at 9 a.m. Pacific (noon Eastern) to 11 a.m. Pacific (2 p.m. Eastern)

Recently, researchers have begun to reach beyond burnout and explore the impact of vicarious trauma on mental health and human services professionals. Vicarious trauma refers to the cumulative impact that trauma content stories have on those in the helping profession. It is defined as indirect and repeated exposure to trauma through the individual in therapy’s firsthand account or narrative of a traumatic event. This experience may result in a set of symptoms and reactions for the professional that parallel posttraumatic stress disorder. 

Research demonstrates that vicarious trauma has the potential to exact a devastating toll on the professional, including damage to brain cells that may result in disruptions in cognitive schema of one's identity, memory, and belief system. It may also result in physical illness, feelings of incompetence, cynicism, isolation, mitigated boundary judgment, and diminished self-control. 

In this two-hour continuing education web conference, Dr. Ellie Izzo will address the ways that helping professionals can recognize and treat vicarious trauma. She will share her strategies for clinicians to maintain an ethical pace as they continue to work in a sometimes dangerous world.

This introductory instructional level web conference is designed to help clinicians:

  1. Describe the basics behind the neuroscience and empirical research regarding vicarious trauma.
  2. Recognize signs and symptoms of vicarious trauma.
  3. Explain the phenomena of transference and countertransference.
  4. Discuss the use of controlled empathy and witnessing positions when helping others.
  5. Utilize professional strategizing for regular debriefing and peer support.

If you have any questions or concerns about this web conference, or would like more information, please contact us here.

Continuing Education (CE) Information

Two CE credits will be provided by GoodTherapy.org for attending this web conference in its entirety. 

GoodTherapy.org is an Approved Education Provider by NAADAC, The Association for Addiction Professionals (provider #135463). Of the eight counselor skill groups ascribed to by NAADAC, this course is classified within Counseling Services. 

GoodTherapy.org is an NBCC-Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEPTM) and may offer NBCC-approved clock hours for events that meet NBCC requirements.

GoodTherapy.org is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. GoodTherapy.org maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

GoodTherapy.org, SW CPE is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #0395.

GoodTherapy.org, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0022 and for licensed mental health counselors #MHC-0031.

To receive CE credit hours for an archived event, you will need to complete a survey as well as a 12 or 15-question exam, verifying that you listened to or watched the event in its entirety. Archived CE events generally are considered "homestudy" by licensing boards.

Registration Information

Premium and Pro Membership with GoodTherapy includes access to this web conference at no additional cost, as well as other member benefits such as a profile listing in GoodTherapy's Therapist Directory. Not yet a member? Sign up for a Premium or Pro Membership, here.

Just want CE credits? Sign up for a monthly or annual CE Subscription with GoodTherapy to get unlimited access to our CE Program, including this event, other live CE web conferences, and hundreds of hours of homestudy courses.

Mental health professionals who are not members can attend this live web conference for $30.95 or access the homestudy recording for $15.50. Sign up here to purchase this CE course and earn a CE certificate.

If the event is canceled by GoodTherapy, registrants who purchased the event will be notified and the charge for the event will be refunded

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Meet the Presenter

Ellie Izzo, PhD, LPC

Ellie Izzo, PhD, LPC

Dr. Ellie Izzo is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Scottsdale, Arizona who specializes in vicarious trauma and working with families in transition. She created and developed the Rapid Advance Process which is used to quickly offer relief to adult survivors of childhood trauma. The process has been globally effective because it trains the client to move out of negative brain circuitry and to build new neural pathways to the higher brain. This neural shift results in a better thinking and feeling outcome and contributes to optimum health.

Dr. Ellie Izzo is co-founder of and a core trainer with the Vicarious Trauma Institute and the Collaborative Divorce Institute. She appears regularly on television as an expert for supporting people in transition. She hosted her own call-in radio show in Phoenix and served as self-help editor for a nationally-syndicated trade magazine. She has served on the IACP Task Force for Training Development and has served as president and board member for Collaborative Divorce Professionals of Arizona.

Ellie is a member of the American Psychological Association, the American Counseling Association, the American Mental Health Counselors Association, International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, and Collaborative Divorce Professionals of Arizona. 

For more information about Dr. Izzo, please visit her website at www.vicarioustrauma.com

Continuing Education Provider Approvals

  • aceGoodTherapy.org is Approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. GoodTherapy.org maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
  • Logo GoodTherapy.org has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6380. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. GoodTherapy.org is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
  • Logo This course has been approved by GoodTherapy.org, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for educational credits. NAADAC Provider #135463. GoodTherapy.org is responsible for all aspects of their programming.
  • GoodTherapy.org, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0395.
  • GoodTherapy.org, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0022 and for licensed mental health counselors #MHC-0031.

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