Many in the caring professions are impacted by the trauma/tragedy they encounter. They can be so focused on helping their client/patient that they are not aware of the effect of secondary trauma...
People in many a walks of life bear witness to suffering:
- Emergency service personnel such as ‘ambos’, ‘firies’, SES workers
- Those working in caring professions
- Police and forensic examiners who attend crime/accident scenes
- Members of the legal profession who strive to administer justice
- Journalists and other media professionals on assignment covering traumatic events, both on location and back at headquarters viewing raw footage
- Family members of Australian Defence Force personnel
- Young professions undertaking UN internships
- Religious leaders who provide spiritual support
- Volunteers of NGOs on goodwill missions
- Congregation members who undertake church aid trips
Many in the caring professions are impacted by the trauma or tragedy they encounter.
They can be so focused on providing help to others that they are unaware that they themselves, through exposure, are suffering vicarious trauma. Their families, at times, can also be affected.
Some may have recently returned from a ‘tour of duty’:
- as a first responder on the scene of a crisis
- media professionals on the ground covering the story, or in the headquarters viewing traumatic footage
- as a church leader or volunteer helping in the aftermath of a crisis
- as an employee or intern involved in an international human rights or humanitarian organization