Managing Vicarious Trauma

This new one-day workshop is for any staff who may be affected by the client’s accounts of distressing experiences to which they have been exposed or be affected by witnessing the impact on clients of these experiences. This could include staff working with the homeless, women and children escaping domestic violence; individuals with a psychiatric disorder and those who have been subject to torture. The training covers:

• what is vicarious trauma;
• how and why it occurs;
• its possible effects and;
• ways of preventing and managing it.

The workshop is structured so that the participants move from one positive experience to another making the training enjoyable and interesting while at the same time examining and discussing important issues associated with good service provision and worker well-being. Detailed notes will be provided which will include a comprehensive reference list as well as links to a range of useful resources on the internet. At the end of the training the participants will:

• Have developed their understanding of vicarious trauma and developed their awareness of how to recognise it in themselves and in others;
• Have learnt strategies to make it less likely that they will develop vicarious trauma and manage it as well as possible when it does occur;
• Have developed their skills in supporting others who may be suffering from vicarious trauma while remaining in their role.