Vicarious TraumatisationWhat is it?

September 2014

Vicarious Traumatisation:

Is about the impact upon the individual

working with adult survivors of child

sexual abuse.

Over the years much of the literature on working with

survivors of child sexual abuse has focused only on one

partner (the victim) in the therapeutic relationship which

is now considered as not only misleading but also

dangerous

The Impact of this Work can leave us:

• Challenge and shatter our basic beliefs about ourselves as people.

• Affected regarding the quality and standard of our work.

• Leave us questioning our ability at times to be able to work in this field.

• Make us cynical, critical, and vulnerable and uncertain in many ways.

In 1990 Pearlmann and Saakvitne defined ‘ Vicarious Traumatisation’ as:

‘the transformation in the inner

experience

of the worker that comes

as a result of empathic

engagement with the client’s traumatic

material’.

Vicarious Traumatisation

Simply means:

It is costly to care for others in emotional pain.

In many ways it is about being ‘honourably wounded ‘in the service of others.

The problem occurs when this

issue is not recognised or addressed.

The Concept of Vicarious Traumatisation:

Focuses on the negative aspects

of the changes that occur within the

worker.

Caring for others in emotional pain affects us in:

• On how we view ourselves as individuals

• The quality and standard of our work

• The quality and standard of our contact with clients

• The quality and standard or our relationships

Vicarious Trauma is:

• Neither a reflection inadequacy on the part of the worker

• Nor of toxicity or badness on the part of the worker.

How Does Vicarious Trauma Occur?

• It is a process which occurs when we

become empathically engaged with our

clients.

• This is essential in the creation of the

therapeutic relationship and recovery for a

survivor of abuse, yet in making ourselves

vulnerable in this way we risk suffering from

vicarious trauma.

Empathy becomes our Asset and Liability.

We are most vulnerable to being vicariously

traumatised when we are empathically with

the emotions of the abused ‘child ego state’ of

the adult survivor.

Signs and Symptoms of V.T. the worker may experience or others notice are:

General changes

• No time or energy for oneself

• Disconnection from loved ones

• Social withdrawal

• Increased sensitivity to violence

• Cynicism

• Generalised despair and hopelessness

• Nightmares

Continued signs and symptoms of V.T:

Specific changes can be:

• Disrupted frame of reference

• Changes in identity, world view and spirituality

• Diminished sense of self

• Impaired ego resources

• Disrupted psychological needs

• Distorted thinking

• Intrusive imagery

• Dissociation

• De-personalisation

Contributing Factors can be:

The situation:

• The Nature of the work

• Nature of the clients

• Cumulative exposure to traumatic

material

• Organisational context

• Social and cultural context

Contributing Factors can be:

Relating to the individual

• Personal history

• Personality and defensive style

• Coping styles

• Current life contexts

• Training and professional history

• Supervision

• Personal therapy

How do we gain more understanding of the subject:

By noticing our coping strategies

and defence mechanisms

in times of stress.

How do we address the subject?

• By realising it is a professional hazard of working in this field.

• By talking about the way our clients are impacting us, personally and professionally.

• By accessing further training.

• By accessing specialist supervision.