As healing professionals, we understand - at least on some level - that we are impacted by the stories of trauma we are exposed to via our clients. But I don’t know that we give ourselves enough space to feel or process this pain. One concept that has come to resonate with me is trauma stewardship, which is offered as a daily practice for individuals and society as we bear witness to the struggles and trauma experienced by others. I find this concept especially poignant since terms like vicarious trauma and secondary trauma don’t always resonate. That is not to say I haven’t experienced the negative impacts of vicarious trauma - I absolutely have - but these framings don't always capture our personal and professional healing that comes when trauma survivors trust us to be a part of their healing journey.
Continuous exposure to stories of trauma as helping professionals will absolutely change us. When helping professionals empathically engage with clients experiencing trauma, it can disrupt our cognitive schemas and how we perceive the world. Exposure to trauma can cause hopelessness, hypervigilance, inability to listen, fear, numbing, cynicism, disconnection/dissociation, and can even manifest as physical health conditions. Naming these symptoms is not intended to cause overwhelm or make anyone feel as if something is wrong with them - these are all very normal reactions to trauma exposure. Instead, I want helping professionals to recognize the signs and know that support is available and you are not alone.
Vicarious trauma is discussed in clinical circles, but ways to recognize it and effectively address it are often not. And there has been a very real stigma associated with helping professionals needing our own help - and unfortunately, I think many of us have internalized this idea that we are superhumans. The lack of attention to the needs of helping professionals is what inspired me to start offering EMDR Intensives specifically designed for those doing trauma work. My hope is to help other healers identify their own practice of trauma stewardship so that our work becomes a transformative experience.
Bearing witness to and helping someone recover from their deepest wounds reminds us of why we do this work. Watching our clients overcome their biggest emotional obstacles also gives us the courage to do the same. I would love to hear about others experiences with exposure to trauma as a healing professional. I firmly believe that talking about it and finding support removes the stigma and allows us, and our clients, to flourish.