Clinician Self-Care for Direct Service Providers & Clinical Supervisors
The clinical and research literature suggests a strong relationship between substance abuse issues and trauma. Clinicians are therefore likely to encounter clients with both substance abuse issues and a history of trauma and/or current traumatic stress reactions in their clinical practice. In addition to the stress of working in substance abuse and mental health treatment contexts which may contribute to burnout, clinicians who work with trauma clients in trauma-informed systems of care are also vulnerable to secondary trauma/compassion fatigue, vicarious traumatization, and sometimes intense countertransference reactions. This workshop will explore the impact of secondary trauma/compassion fatigue, vicarious traumatization, burnout and countertransference on clinicians who work with traumatized clients, the ethical imperative of clinician self-care and clinical supervision issues with regard to working with clinicians doing traumainformed work or trauma therapy. It will also provide an assessment tool for supervisors and a framework for developing a holistic and comprehensive approach to self-care. Participants will engage in the development of their own personal/professional self-care plans and have ample opportunity to discuss clinical supervision issues with regard to clinical self-care.
Sponsored By: Sweetser Training Institute