Addressing vicarious trauma in psychologists

As is true for many of my colleagues, my experience with burnout and vicarious trauma (VT) was one of learning through hardship rather than preparation. While I was still earning my degree, I got my feet into the human services through work at crisis lines, shelters, group homes, and other non-profit work. Looking back with what I know now, I see indicators that were clear signs the work was affecting me.

I didn’t realize it at the time – I didn’t have that kind of insight. Instead, I remember it slowly revealing itself like a buried giant.

What I wish had happened was any sort of real conversation about the signs that were showing up in my body and behavior, creeping into my subconscious like a strange dream but not yet in my active awareness. Fittingly, much of my work as a young human services worker was during the night shift. I never would have identified as depressed, burnt out, or vicariously traumatized, but I kept a journal at the time. Reading it now, I wonder what might have changed if someone had asked me:

• “Does your body ever feel ill at these hours?"
• "Do you find yourself staring at the computer, flipping from tab to tab without actually looking at any of it?"
• "Is your resolve to stretch more/write more/read more/write back to your friends feeling half-hearted? Do you keep thinking 'maybe tomorrow'?"
• "Do you dream about work?"

It’s clear now that, during my initial crisis line volunteer training, these issues were not adequately addressed, leaving me vulnerable to their impact. And they also weren’t touched on in grad school, any of my other human services work, or during my training to become fully registered as a psychologist. It wasn’t until I experienced them firsthand that I truly understood the toll they can take, leading me down a challenging path to recovery. I have spoken to many other helping professionals who experienced the same thing – diving headfirst into crisis work and only years later, after resurfacing, realizing just how ill-prepared they were.

Strategies to prevent vicarious trauma

This experience has underscored the need for more robust and ongoing training on trauma, along with broader conversations and organizational support that extend beyond the often-emphasized personal self-care strategies.

So, what exactly does this mean? First, we need to address one of the biggest risk factors for vicarious trauma by reducing the work load for supervisees, employees, and students, especially when it comes to trauma cases. We can provide and encourage a more diverse case load, explaining the reasons behind this approach to support sustainability.

Simultaneously, we need to increase protective factors. Research shows us the importance of initial and ongoing vicarious trauma training. This should be woven in throughout graduate school courses and practicum and it should cover not just the signs of vicarious trauma but also methods for prevention and recovery. Additionally, students and new clinicians should be encouraged to regularly assess themselves using screening tools.
 
There’s also a lot that we, as leaders in psychology—whether teachers, supervisors, or organizational leaders—can do to set the stage for sustainable careers. For example, we can, and should, purposefully carve out time for self-reflective practice in supervision. As my colleague Sophia C. Parks encourages, all supervision sessions should touch on boundaries, sustainability, and care for the clinician in some way.
 
During group supervision, we can invite supervisees to share the practices that are helping them most and how they’re adapting to shifting seasonal demands. Group supervision is also a great opportunity for supervisees to openly discuss the challenges they face in their work. If we can create an environment of trust and connection, we can go beyond mere case consultation, allowing participants to feel safe enough to share personal difficulties. This opens up space for empathy and a sense of “me too” support. Peer discussions can also help them identify burnout-prone situations by asking questions like:

• “How many hours a week is it normal to work?"
• "What’s normal for my employer to expect of me?"
• "How is everyone else managing everything there is to do?”

In line with this, research identifies regular supervision and peer support as protective factors. Additionally, a culture which validates vicarious trauma is key.
 
Ultimately, there is a pressing need for comprehensive training and organizational support to address burnout and vicarious trauma in the field of psychology. We need structural solutions within graduate schools and workplaces, emphasizing the importance of proactive measures and systemic support to protect psychologists from burnout and VT.