Vicarious Trauma Sustaining Resilience COMMUNITY LEGAL CENTRES QUEENSLAND

Vicarious Trauma & Sustaining Resilience COMMUNITY LEGAL CENTRES QUEENSLAND PRESENTED BY TERE VAKA, PENNY GORDON & ASSOCIATES.

Psychological Wellbeing at Work �Compassion fatigue. �Burnout. �Vicarious Trauma.

Definition Of Vicarious Traumatisation (VT) �VT is the transformation of the worker’s inner experience as a result of empathic engagement with clients and their trauma material. (Pearlman & Saakvitne, 1995)

�The expectation that we can be immersed in suffering and loss daily and not be touched by it is as unrealistic as expecting to be able to walk through water without getting wet. (Remen, 1996)

Characteristics Of Vicarious Trauma �Cumulative. �Inevitable. �Developmental. �Modifiable.

Signs And Symptoms Of Vicarious Trauma �Behavioural. �Physical. �Cognitive. �Affective. �Frame of reference.

Psychological Impacts Of Vicarious Trauma �Safety. �Intimacy. �Self esteem. �Trust. �Control. (Saakvitne, Pearlman, & TSI Staff, 1996)

Susceptibility to VT �Unrealistic expectations of self. �A personal history of trauma. �Unfounded beliefs about the value of stoicism or nonresponsiveness. �Personal coping strategies that do not help. �Current stressful personal life. �Reluctance or barriers to accessing support, supervision, EAP, etc.

Who Is Most At Risk? Legal practitioners working in: �Domestic violence. �Family law. �Legal aid criminal law. (Levin & Greisberg, 2003)

Australian Study Findings �VT higher in criminal law solicitors. �Higher levels of: Ø Subjective distress. Ø Self reported VT. Ø Depression. Ø Stress. Ø Cognitive changes in relation to safety and intimacy. Ø Avoidance, intrusions and hyperarousal. (Vrklevski & Franklin, 2008)

Resilience: Definition �Being able to bounce back from setbacks and develop enduring strengths that help us stay effective in the face of tough demands and difficult circumstances. (Cooper, Flint-Taylor, & Pearn, 2013)

Contributors To Resiliency �Personal abilities: ØSocial competence. ØProblem solving skills. ØAutonomy. ØA sense of purpose and hope. �Environmental protective factors: ØCaring relationships. ØHigh expectations. ØOpportunities for meaningful participation. (Constantine, Benard, & Diaz, 1999)

Coping Strategies MT Emotional Regulation SEEDS - PERMA

Neuropsychology �S – Social connection. �E – Exercise. �E – Education. �D – Diet. �S – Sleep. (Arden, 2015)

Positive Psychology �Positive Emotions. �Engagement �Relationships �Meaning �Accomplishments (Seligman)

Emotional Regulation Strategies �Relaxation �Mindfulness �Cognitive Reframing �Debriefing

Mental Toughness as a Mindset �Mental Toughness describes a mindset during pressured moments. Four factors: ØControl ØClarity ØConcentration ØCommitment (Clough & Strycharczyk, 2015)

Organisational Strategies Continuous attention to sustaining a healthy culture: �Structuring organisational downtime. �Valuing socialising, fun and humour. �Focusing on building cultures of self care and group/team care. �Focusing on wellbeing and celebration. �Ensuring shared operational values.

Organisational Strategies Allocation of resources for support processes and structures: �Supervision processes. �Professional development. �Employee assistance scheme (counselling).