Vicarious Trauma Institute
Vicarious Trauma is a silent thief that has the potential to rob the
caring listener of their health and well-being.
Vicarious Trauma...it sounds like something you would like to run from, doesn't it? In reality, you may have run toward it by choosing to help others, either in your professional or your personal life - most likely in both. When you listen to and absorb the traumatic experiences of your patients, clients, or friends, it becomes a trauma that weighs on you as well. At the Vicarious Trauma institute, we call it second-hand shock™, and our professionals can help you to debrief, reconnect, and find relief.
Featured Blog Article
Emotional Sustainability in a Changing World
March 06, 2010: Dealing with any type of trauma is draining on one's emotional health. Many of you are working towards living sustainably to restore the earth's natural balance. It is time now to also be aware of living an emotionally sustainable live to restore yourself.
One important aspect of making the shift from an addictive society to a green community is learning to develop the internal skill of emotional sustainability. As Kermit the Frog once sang, "It's not easy being green".
Change, in and of itself can be scary. Add to that the global anxiety inherent in economic crisis and terrorism and one can relate to feeling afraid. When humans feel afraid, they can get stuck in the primitive part of the brain called the limbic system; known for the reflexive fight, flight or freeze reaction. When that happens, we are at risk to distract ourselves from the unpleasant state through addictive behaviors.
Now that we are finally facing our excesses, let's make the paradigm shift by conserving our internal AND our external resources. Let's respond, rather than react, to fear with higher thinking traits such as creativity and hope. read previous articles
Authors:
Ellie Izzo, PhD, LPC
Vicki Carpel Miller, BSN, MS, LMFT