The Role of Self-Care and Supervision in Addressing Vicarious Trauma in Counsellors Working with Clients with Complex Trauma
The Role of Self-Care and Supervision in Addressing Vicarious Trauma in Counsellors Working with Clients with Complex Trauma
Issue Date
2024-10-20
Authors
Raj, Naveena
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Abstract
Working with clients with complex trauma brings on unique challenges for counsellors; namely, vicarious trauma. In this capstone, I discuss the role of self-care and supervision for counsellors who experience vicarious trauma while working with clients with complex trauma. Clients with complex trauma have experienced chronic and interpersonal trauma in their childhood. These clients present with emotional dysregulation, interpersonal conflict, and negative self-concept. As their stories unfold, counsellors must make appraisal of these traumatic stories and traumatic information. These appraisals can be negative leading to vicarious trauma or they can be positive bringing about vicarious post-traumatic growth. In order to experience the vicarious post-traumatic growth, counsellors need to intentionally engage in self-care and trauma-approach supervision. However, there are barriers to accessing either one of the above, leading to the counsellors to rely solely on their resilience. Research has shown that resiliency alone cannot support counsellors through the experience of vicarious trauma. Therefore, this capstone proposes a practical application of self-care and supervision through an accessible workshop designed to support counsellors. There is discussion of practical ways to make self-care a way of being and to engage in supervision for growth and self-care.
Description
Keywords
complex trauma , self-care , supervision , vicarious post-traumatic growth , vicarious trauma
License
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States , openAccess