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.

The Inner Critic in the Consulting Room

The Uninvited Guest

There's a voice that follows many of us into the consulting room. It sits quietly during easy sessions but becomes increasingly vocal when the work gets challenging. It has opinions about everything we say, critiques our interventions, and offers a running commentary on our inadequacies.

This voice has a name: the inner critic. And it has a lot to say about how we practice therapy.