Understanding and Managing Vicarious Trauma

This course explores the concept of vicarious trauma and its impact on professionals exposed to the suffering and trauma of others. It provides the knowledge and tools necessary to recognise symptoms, build resilience, and implement personal and organisational strategies for managing and mitigating its effects. Designed for professionals in emotionally demanding roles, the course emphasises reflective practice, self-care, and trauma-informed working.

Overview

By the end of the course, learners will:

• Raise awareness of what vicarious trauma is, how it differs from related conditions like burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion fatigue.
• Explore causes and risk factors, such as workload, boundaries, personal trauma history, and organisational culture.
• Help learners recognise early signs and symptoms, both psychological (e.g. emotional numbing, intrusive thoughts) and physical (e.g. fatigue, sleep issues).
• Support self-awareness and emotional regulation, encouraging reflective practice.
• Offer practical strategies for prevention and resilience, including supervision, healthy boundaries, self-care routines, and peer support.
• Highlight organisational responsibilities, such as trauma-informed leadership, staff training, access to debriefing, and supportive policies.
• Encourage help-seeking behaviours, pointing learners towards support resources, counselling, and when to seek professional intervention.



This course is CPD Certified

Duration

Online 1 - 2 Hours

Learning Aims & Outcome

This can include a variety of tasks, such as:

• Define vicarious trauma and distinguish it from burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary traumatic stress
• Recognise the risk factors and symptoms associated with vicarious trauma
• Reflect on the impact of vicarious trauma on personal wellbeing and professional practice
• Identify practical strategies for self-care, boundaries, and resilience
• Understand organisational responsibilities in supporting staff exposed to trauma
• Know when and how to access further support or professional help

Assesment

The online assessment is taken on completion of the training material. You will be asked 20 multiple choice questions with a pass mark of 100%. The answers are marked automatically so you will instantly know whether you have passed. If you don’t pass don’t worry! You can take the test as many times as you need with no extra charge.