Trauma-informed care wasn’t always as sensitive and healing as it is now. Today, therapists, social workers, and counselors understand how complex and long-lasting trauma is. That’s why they put so much effort into addressing trauma in a healthy, fair way.
In doing so, many people take on some of the stress and pain that their clients or patients hold onto. This doesn’t indicate a lack of professionalism, and, if anything, it shows that you care as much as you should.
Follow along as we explore how professionals can navigate trauma exposure while working in healing careers.
How to Protect Yourself While Practicing Trauma-Informed Care
Naturally, treating people dealing with trauma and depression for hours on end can involve bringing some of it home. This can be tough, as helping others shouldn’t come at your own expense. Luckily, you can protect yourself from some of the pitfalls of secondary trauma exposure by prioritizing a few practices, including:
1. Embrace Personal Therapy
Nobody knows the importance of therapy as much as a therapist, counselor, social worker, or trauma specialist. However, it’s easy to get wrapped up in work while navigating healing careers, so some people neglect personal therapy. That said, navigating trauma exposure that comes along with helping others heal is difficult without a therapist.
No matter what type of healing career you work in, you most likely absorb lots of other people’s trauma, stress, and depression. Naturally, this can rub off on anyone, even if you’ve been a therapist or trauma specialist for decades. Seeing a therapist or counselor can help you unpack a lot of the stress and trauma you’re exposed to throughout the week.
This essential form of self-care can prevent burnout and ensure you care for each client or patient as well as possible. It’s just as important as getting enough sleep and embracing a healthy diet.
2. Confide in Peers
Working as a counselor, therapist, social worker, or psychiatric nurse practitioner means that you work among like-minded people. You can typically count on your peers being empathetic, driven, and passionate about their work. Navigating the trauma exposure that comes with healing careers is much easier when you confide in peers.
This can include fellow counselors and therapists, as well as your supervisor at work. Even simply venting about work to people who share your professional passion and experience can help you navigate trauma exposure. It’s also important to ask for advice as needed, as navigating trauma exposure alone can be difficult.
3. Practice Grounding Techniques
Working with trauma survivors is quite rewarding, but anyone with basic human empathy can understand why this work is difficult. That’s especially true if you don’t do anything to ground yourself after an emotionally heavy session with a client or patient. Therapists and social workers often recommend grounding techniques; however, they should also practice these techniques themselves.
Whether it be positive affirmations, deep breathing, or a combination of the two, grounding techniques are quite effective. Grounding techniques can help you snap out of a dark emotional place after being exposed to secondary trauma. Practicing these techniques is a form of self-care, and doing so can also help you teach them.
This is important, whether you’re a social worker at a hospital or a private practice counselor. It’s not always an easy job, but having some grounding techniques in your back pocket can help alleviate some of the darkness.
4. Establish Boundaries
Countless people take work stress home, regardless of their career. Naturally, the type of work stress that counselors, social workers, and therapists bring home can often be sad and stressful. That’s especially true for those who are regularly exposed to secondary trauma.
You must establish boundaries to ensure that your healing work doesn’t consume every second of your life. This starts at work, where setting session times is essential to keep a neat schedule and prevent burnout. It’s also important to implement restrictions on how your clients and or patients can reach you.
Otherwise, you may get text messages and phone calls at all hours of the day. Limit how much personal information you share, and try not to harp on the day’s work when you get home. Otherwise, the secondary trauma you encounter at work can play too big a role in your life.
Secondary Trauma Exposure Doesn’t Need to Come Home with You
You can avoid bringing secondary trauma home from work if you establish boundaries and practice grounding techniques. Don’t hesitate to confide in your peers or a therapist to deal with your own stresses. Embracing personal therapy and avoiding bringing work home can help prevent compassion fatigue and protect your mental health.