Vicarious Trauma
Support the people who support others.
CTI's Vicarious Trauma workshop recognizes that individuals in helping professions also need support because of the very nature of their work. Repeated exposure to the trauma, distress and difficult experiences of others can affect professionals emotionally, psychologically and physically.
Participants have an opportunity to discuss the “occupational hazard” of helping work, deepen their understanding of primary and secondary trauma or wounding, and explore post-traumatic growth and vicarious resilience.
Understand the impact of trauma exposure and strengthen resilience.
The workshop connects awareness of trauma exposure with practical reflection, recovery and resilience-building.
Recognize the Occupational Impact
Explore why trauma exposure can become an occupational hazard in helping, caring and service professions.
Understand Primary Trauma
Build awareness of trauma experienced directly and how it may affect wellbeing and professional functioning.
Understand Secondary Trauma
Explore how repeated exposure to clients' traumatic experiences can affect helpers over time.
Recognize Personal Impact
Reflect on changes in stress, emotion, beliefs, energy and professional functioning that may develop through helping work.
Explore Post-Traumatic Growth
Understand how growth, meaning and strengthened coping can emerge alongside difficult experiences.
Build Vicarious Resilience
Explore how witnessing client resilience and recovery can strengthen hope, meaning and professional resilience.
Recognize, recover and strengthen.
A trauma-aware workplace supports staff by recognizing the impact of helping work and creating space for recovery and resilience.
Recognize
Notice the personal and professional impact of repeated exposure to trauma, distress and crisis.
Recover
Create practices, boundaries and workplace supports that help staff process stress and restore capacity.
Strengthen
Develop post-traumatic growth and vicarious resilience through reflection, support and healthier organizational practices.
Create conditions that support both staff and clients.
CTI connects vicarious resilience with the development of a workplace recovery environment where staff wellbeing is recognized as part of effective service delivery.
From Vicarious Trauma to Vicarious Resilience
CTI's workshop does not focus only on the negative impact of trauma exposure. It also introduces post-traumatic growth and vicarious resilience, helping participants consider how witnessing courage, recovery and growth in others can contribute to meaning and resilience within the helping profession.
Support staff working in trauma-exposed environments.
Vicarious Trauma training can be particularly relevant for healthcare, social services, mental health, crisis support, justice, community organizations and other workplaces where employees regularly hear or witness difficult experiences.
Organizational training can help teams develop a shared language around trauma exposure, strengthen recovery practices and create a healthier workplace environment for both staff and clients.
Frequently Asked Questions About Vicarious Trauma
Learn more about CTI's Vicarious Trauma training, including the impact of trauma exposure, primary and secondary trauma, post-traumatic growth, vicarious resilience, workplace recovery, and organizational training.
What is vicarious trauma?
Vicarious trauma refers to the impact that repeated exposure to other people's trauma can have on helping professionals, including changes in emotional wellbeing, beliefs, stress responses and professional functioning.
Who is this workshop designed for?
The workshop is intended for people in helping professions who are regularly exposed to the trauma, distress or difficult experiences of clients and communities.
What is the difference between primary and secondary trauma?
Primary trauma is experienced directly, while secondary trauma can develop through repeated exposure to the traumatic experiences of others. CTI's workshop helps participants deepen their understanding of both.
What is vicarious resilience?
Vicarious resilience describes the positive growth, meaning and strengthened coping that helping professionals may develop through witnessing clients' resilience and recovery.
Does the workshop address post-traumatic growth?
Yes. CTI's workshop specifically includes post-traumatic growth and vicarious resilience as part of building a healthier workplace recovery environment.
What is a workplace recovery environment?
A workplace recovery environment is one that recognizes the impact of trauma exposure and supports staff through awareness, supportive practices, recovery strategies and a culture that values wellbeing.
Can this training help reduce burnout?
The workshop is designed to increase awareness of the occupational impact of helping work and strengthen recovery and resilience practices, which can support healthier responses to chronic stress and trauma exposure.
Can Vicarious Trauma training be delivered to organizations?
Yes. CTI provides organizational training and can work with teams whose staff are exposed to trauma through helping, healthcare, social-service, justice, crisis-support or community-facing roles.