THE RESILIENT CLINICIAN - REDUCING VICARIOUS TRAUMA & BURNOUT - VIRTUAL

THE RESILIENT CLINICIAN - REDUCING VICARIOUS TRAUMA & BURNOUT

 Presenter: Sherie Hawkins, PhD, LPC, NCC, CPCS             

As mental health professionals, Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs) and Licensed Associate Professional Counselors (LAPCs) hold space for their clients' pain, trauma, and emotional distress. However, prolonged exposure to clients’ trauma narratives without intentional self-care and energy release can lead to vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and ultimately, burnout. This workshop emphasizes a proactive and sustainable approach to well-being, ensuring that clinicians can continue to provide compassionate care without sacrificing their own mental health. This workshop will provide clinicians with an understanding of how vicarious trauma impacts their well-being, helping them recognize early warning signs and develop proactive strategies for resilience. Participants will explore both macro-level approaches, such as integrating nourishing and fun activities into their daily lives, and micro-level techniques to release the emotional energy held during from client sessions to better prepare them for the next client session                 

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 

1.**Recognize the Signs and Impact of Vicarious Trauma**  Understand the difference between secondary traumatic stress, compassion fatigue, and burnout. Identify personal indicators of vicarious trauma and the physiological and psychological effects of prolonged exposure to trauma narratives. 

2.**Implement Decompression and Energy-Release Techniques**  Participants will gain tools to integrate into their daily work, including practices to release residual client energy between sessions and approaches that support long-term resilience. These tools may include grounding techniques, mindfulness exercises, and body-based interventions to transition between sessions effectively.  Personalized micro-level strategies to release the emotional energy of client sessions will be identified, preparing the clinician for the next client with clarity and presence.

3.**Integrate Sustainable Self-Care and Resilience Practices**  Establish effective personal and professional boundaries and colleague support. Identify fun and nourishing activities that enhance emotional well-being and professional longevity. Commit to implementing at least one new macro-level decompression strategy into their routine to sustain resilience and prevent burnout.  Rather than seeing personal restoration as an optional luxury, attendees will learn to incorporate enjoyable, nourishing activities into their schedules as an essential part of sustaining their role as effective therapists.