Continuous human actions affect long-term physiological responses that shape an individual’s life. Psychotherapists and social professionals must understand these experiences to help traumatized families and children (Levenson, 2020). This essay analyzes an awful incident that affected the author, examines her coping mechanisms, and assesses the potential effects on social work practice, particularly counter-transference prevention. Well-being considerations include vicarious trauma, compassion’s burden, and secondary traumatic stress’s adverse impact on the practitioner.
On the other hand, my own traumatic experience was a case of the sudden death of one of my loved ones, an incident that has been quite painful, affecting my emotional being and changes in my worldview. Dealing with the trauma significantly involved multi-dimensional effort. Firstly, much solace was derived from being surrounded by nurturing relationships and sharing feelings with close friends and family members (Lines et al., 2020). Compassion amid agony helped rationalize severe feelings and enhance engagement with everyday activity. Counseling and journaling became crucial to coping.
They supported my emotional expression and restored my well-being through introspection. My holistic condition improved by integrating self-care practices like wellness management and mindfulness. I got professional help from a therapist who gave me coping skills and helped me cope with mourning after the disaster.
My adversity has enhanced my capacity for empathy as a social worker. I am now more adept at communicating with consumers and being honest and empathetic due to a tightened awareness of nuances. Nonetheless, this increased sensitivity necessitates caution to prevent perils such as counter-transference. Counter-transference transpires when the analyst experiences an emotional response to the client’s concerns, potentially reflecting the client’s difficulties or emotions (Holmes et al., 2021). The emotional attachment of a person who has experienced loss and the client’s grieving can influence the counter-transference. With regular surveillance and consultation, self-awareness can be upheld.
The social workers, as doctors, get their emotional reserves depleted due to the distressing experiences of the clients. In such a case, professionals could undergo this infliction of trauma and exhaustion via empathy and additional pressures. Professionals are affected by vicarious trauma when the pain of their customers has been internalized by changing their viewpoint ac, according to Lines et al., 2020. This compassion fatigue syndrome negatively affects the mental well-being of those working in helping professions. Secondary traumatic stress is the very opposite of primary traumatic stress and describes the passing absorption of others’ unpleasant symptoms that are observed due to seeing others’ misery. Hence, professionals need to engage in self-care to prevent and stay away from vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and other stress disorders.
Complex processing cases should be accompanied by debriefing from the supervisor or peer aid and regularly monitored.
Recognizing one’s limits and maintaining limits bring down the risk of tiredness. As noted by Holmes et al. (2021), strenuous events can increase accruing efficacy to social work by making them more truthful and empathetic. In light of the idea of sympathy fatigue, backward exchange, vicarious trauma, and secondary trauma, it is essential always to keep this at the back of one’s mind. Their role is significant because by taking responsible command over their own emotions, remaining watchful of the survivors, and nurturing their well-being in personal routines, social workers have a considerable part to play in making trauma therapies more effective.
Holmes, M. R., Rentrope, C. R., Korsch-Williams, A., & King, J. A. (2021). Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on posttraumatic stress, grief, burnout, and secondary trauma of social workers in the United States. Clinical Social Work Journal, 1-10.
Lines, L. E., Hutton, A., & Grant, J. M. (2020). Navigating and negotiating meanings of child abuse and neglect: Sociocultural contexts shaping Australian nurses’ perceptions. Health & social care in the community, 28(3), 941–949. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22345
Levenson, J. (2020). Translating trauma-informed principles into social work practice. Social Work, 65(3), 288–298. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK207195/