Vicarious Trauma and Self Care at The NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS).

Vicarious trauma (VT) and secondary traumatic stress (STS) or compassion fatigue all describe effects of working with traumatised persons on therapists. Despite conceptual similarities, their emphases differ: cognitive schemas vs. posttraumatic symptoms and burnout, respectively. According to Prof. Giacomo Rizzolatti of Parma-Italy, the brain contains a special class of cells - called “mirror neurons”, that are fire when the therapist empathises with its client. During the therapy, when the client discloses his/her emotional tension, the therapist is capable to empathise with the client’s experience as the therapist’s mirror neurons cells recognise and “mirror” the client’s suffering. This increases therapist’s sensitivity and vulnerability to vicarious traumatisation.  Vicarious traumatisation is the cumulative transformation in the inner experience of the therapist’s or helper as a result of their empathic engagement with the client’s trauma material. Saakvitne & Perlman (1995).

Further, if the vicarious traumatisation is prolonged, it could become chronic and extended into a burnout, which is define as emotional, physical and mental exhaustion, during which clinician’s self confidence is reduced and the clinician feels incompetent and de-motivated for his/her clinical work.

These effects can include severe, debilitating anxiety that persists for months and sometimes even years impacting clinician’s private and professional life. Therefore it is so important for the therapists to be aware of the impact of stress, secondary tramatisation, vicarious traumatisation and burnout. Understanding these phenomenon and the mechanisms precipitating such distress is an important step in providing appropriate help for a large number of people indirectly affected by tragic events.