The Unspoken Truths of Being a Therapist: The Weight of Holding Others' Pain

Understanding Secondary Trauma

Secondary traumatic stress (STS), also known as vicarious trauma or compassion fatigue, affects 34-85% of mental health professionals during their careers. It develops through empathic engagement with trauma survivors, creating symptoms similar to direct trauma exposure.

Unlike burnout, which typically relates to workload and organizational factors, secondary trauma specifically results from absorbing clients' traumatic material. The very empathy that makes therapists effective also makes them vulnerable to this occupational hazard.