Title: 
Headings:  Vicarious Trauma
Fact
 
Sheet
 
#9
 

Vicarious
 
Trauma
 

Signs
 
and
 
symptoms
 
for
 
counselors:
 

Behavior:
 

Interpersonal:
 

Personal
 
values/beliefs:
 

Job
 
performance:
 


Content: Burnout
 
is
 
generally
 
something
 
that
 
happens
 
over
 
time,
 
and
 
as
 
it
 
builds
 
up
 
a
 
change,
 
such
 
as
 
time
 
off
 
or
 
a
 
new
 
and
 
sometimes
 
different
 
job,
 
can
 
take
 
care
 
of
 
burnout
 
or
 
improve
 
it. Vicarious
 
trauma,
 
however,
 
is
 
a
 
state
 
of
 
tension
 
and
 
preoccupation
 
of
 
the
 
stories/trauma
 
experiences
 
described
 
by
 
clients. This
 
tension
 
and
 
preoccupation
 
might
 
be
 
experienced
 
by
 
counselors
 
in
 
several
 
ways. They
 
might: avoid
 
talking
 
or
 
thinking
 
about
 
what
 
the
 
•
 
be
 
in
 
a
 
persistent
 
arousal
 
state
 
trauma
 
effected
 
client(s)
 
have
 
been
 
talking
 
about,
 
almost
 
being
 
numb
 
to
 
it
 
Counselors
 
should
 
be
 
aware
 
of
 
the
 
signs
 
and
 
symptoms
 
of
 
vicarious
 
trauma
 
and
 
the
 
potential
 
emotional
 
effects
 
of
 
working
 
with
 
trauma
 
survivors. Signs
 
and
 
symptoms
 
for
 
counselors: having
 
difficulty
 
talking
 
about
 
their
 
•
 
diminished
 
joy
 
toward
 
things
 
they
 
once
 
feelings
 
enjoyed
 


 
free
 
floating
 
anger
 
and/or
 
irritation
 
•
 
feeling
 
trapped
 
by
 
their
 
work
 
as
 
a
 


 
startle
 
effect/being
 
jumpy
 
counselor
 
(crisis
 
counselor)
 


 
over-eating
 
or
 
under-eating
 
•
 
diminished
 
feelings
 
of
 
satisfaction
 
and
 


 
difficulty
 
falling
 
asleep
 
and/or
 
staying
 
personal
 
accomplishment
 
asleep
 
•
 
dealing
 
with
 
intrusive
 
thoughts
 
of
 


 
losing
 
sleep
 
over
 
patients
 
clients
 
with
 
especially
 
severe
 
trauma
 


 
worried
 
that
 
they
 
are
 
not
 
doing
 
enough
 
histories
  
for
 
their
 
clients
 
•
 
feelings
 
of
 
hopelessness
 
associated
 
with
 


 
dreaming
 
about
 
their
 
clients/their
 
their
 
work/clients
 
clients’
 
trauma
 
experiences
 
•
 
blaming
 
others
 
Vicarious
 
trauma
 
can
 
impact
 
a
 
counselor’s
 
professional
 
performance
 
and
 
function,
 
as
 
well
 
as
 
result
 
in
 
errors
 
in
 
judgment
 
and
 
mistakes. Counselors
 
may
 
experience: Behavior: frequent
 
job
 
changes
 


 
tardiness
 


 
free
 
floating
 
anger/irritability
 


 
absenteeism
 


 
irresponsibility
 


 
overwork
 


 
irritability
 

Interpersonal: