Title: Vicarious trauma & burnout | The Lookout
Headings: Vicarious trauma & burnout
Vicarious trauma & burnout
Impacts of responding to family violence
Recognising the signs and symptoms of vicarious trauma
Recognising the signs and symptoms of burnout
How to protect yourself
Preventing burnout

Content: Invasive thoughts of client’s situation/distress
Frustration/fear/anxiety/irritability
Disturbed sleep/nightmares/racing thoughts
Problems managing personal boundaries
Taking on too great a sense of responsibility or feeling you need to overstep the boundaries of your role
Difficulty leaving work at the end of the day/noticing you can never leave on time
Loss of connection with self and others/loss of a sense of own identity
Increased time alone/a sense of needing to withdraw from others
Increased need to control events/outcomes/others
Loss of pleasure in daily activities
The effects of vicarious trauma vary from person to person. For some people, there may be a wide range of signs and symptoms, while others may experience problems in one particular area of their lives. Recognising the signs and symptoms of burnout
This is not an exhaustive list but it covers some of the common signs of burnout: Physical and emotional stress
Low job satisfaction
Feeling frustrated by or judgmental of clients
Feeling under pressure, powerless and overwhelmed
Not taking breaks, eating on the run
Unable to properly refuel and regenerate
Frequent sick days or “mental health days”
Irritability and anger
How to protect yourself
If you find yourself experiencing these symptoms, it’s important to recognise that this is not a reflection on your professional abilities but a normal response to the challenging nature of this work. Some tips for managing symptoms: Reach out to someone. This could be your manager, a trusted friend or colleague, a counsellor or another support person. You could also access your employee assistance program (EAP), if you have one. For after-hours support, the 1800RESPECT telephone and online counselling services are available 24 hours a day for professionals to discuss the personal impact of working with people who have experienced violence. Find a way to escape physically and/or mentally e.g. reading, days off, holidays.