Vicarious Trauma and Self-Care for Mental Health Professionals

Running head: MENTAL HEALTH FORUM DISCUSSION
MENTAL HEALTH FORUM DISCUSSION
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MENTAL HEALTH FORUM DISCUSSION
The BlueKnot Foundation is a center that is involved in providing services in relation to
trauma informed care. The organization is involved in empowering the recovery of the
Australian adults especially who have undergone childhood trauma. The organization provides
education and support to the families as well as the communities who are mainly the adult
survivors of trauma. The organization is involved in providing trauma care to the above
mentioned target group through the establishment of a national workforce capacity especially
around the treatment of complex trauma along with trauma-informed practices in addition to
management of vicarious trauma. The organization is also involved in building of complex
trauma policy in addition to practice and delivery of service. The services aim to embed the
policy of trauma into practice in order to bring change in systems within the community and the
organization itself.
A.
Secondary trauma or which is referred to as vicarious trauma is often described as
an exposure to a traumatic event in an indirect manner through the first-hand account or
narrative of the particular event. Generally the people in the helping profession like the
therapists or the counselors along with the doctors or police officers are often at a risk of
being vicariously traumatized. Therefore most often this has an impact both on the work
and on the personal life of the professionals involved. If we consider the symptoms of
vicarious trauma then it might be divided into four categories of emotional symptoms,
behavioral symptoms, along with psychological symptoms and the cognitive symptoms.

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MENTAL HEALTH FORUM DISCUSSION
According to these symptoms the effect of vicarious trauma on work and personal life
can be perceived. Especially it is evident from the behavioral symptoms, where the
individuals might try to get engage in risky behavior. In addition to this they try to avoid
people or tasks, and also they often find it difficult to distinguish work from their
personal life and often end up in increasing their workload. In terms of personal
relationships these individuals start consuming too much alcohol and show maladaptive
behavioral creeps (Cohen & Collens, 2013).
B.
In cases of vicarious trauma there is a need for self care by the professionals in
order to reduce the risk of vicarious traumatization. The barriers to the self care in terms
of both organizational and personal barriers include lack of exposure to traumatic
material which are required to receive appropriate training and supervision. There
barriers also include that many mental health professionals are required to be
recommend for connecting with the other professionals who have the understanding and
the experience in working with such trauma. Often the professionals do not get ample
time for reduce their risk of vicarious trauma that is required for self care. In cases where
the therapists along with others who are exposed to trauma indirectly, there is a need of
dedication of time to activities of self-care like journaling, taking break from work in
addition to enjoying music or investing time with close ones. Activities like pursuing of
hobbies and others are also required so that they might be able to better understand the
experience of vicarious trauma. Such barriers also involve reluctance to visit therapy
which can also be a type of self care as the therapy session provides time to emphasis on