Photo credit: BigStockPhoto ProstoFhoto
Trauma - Words From Wooden Blocks With Letters, Physical Or Ment
by Eugene Z. Bertrand
Social work is often described as a calling—a career defined by commitment, compassion, and resilience in the face of human suffering. Yet, behind these ideals lies a significant professional hazard—vicarious trauma, which is the emotional residue that social workers may absorb from working with trauma survivors. According to research, this risk is present from the very start of a social worker’s career. Even during their education, inadequate preparation for the emotional toll can have long-term consequences for professional development and retention.
According to Cavener and Lonbay (2024), students and educators consistently identified the need for “trauma-informed teaching,” emphasizing psychological safety, maximizing student choice, promoting collaboration, and building resilience. Their study found that when curriculum and classroom environments neglect these principles, students may become more vulnerable to the cumulative effects of trauma exposure throughout their education and into their careers. Educators note that most formal training on vicarious trauma is limited or relegated to supplementary modules rather than being a core, integrated part of the social work curriculum. This gap means many students are unprepared to recognize or manage their own responses when confronted with trauma-related content or fieldwork situations, increasing their risk of distress and later burnout, according to their findings.
Research led by Watts and McAfee (2021) supports this, showing that social work students experience moderate levels of vicarious trauma during their studies and field placements. According to their research, structured recreational self-care was the most effective intervention for reducing symptoms. Despite their benefits, these self-care strategies, when accompanied by systematic prevention and intervention training, remain inconsistently implemented in educational programs. Watts and McAffee highlight that both curriculum and supervisory practices should incorporate explicit education surrounding the topic of vicarious trauma and further argue that the current standards leave new professionals ill-equipped and unprepared for the challenges they may encounter in the field.
Kim et al. (2021) conducted a review of existing interventions intended to address vicarious trauma amongst providers who are actively working with clients who have been traumatized. They found that interventions for vicarious trauma, such as psychoeducation, mindfulness, and art-based programs, generally show promise for reducing compassion fatigue and burnout. However, they caution that existing interventions are primarily self-care-focused and not always tailored to the profession’s unique demands. They advocate for a new generation of education and prevention strategies, embedded at both individual and organizational levels, to build resilience and proactively address vicarious trauma before it leads to more severe consequences.
All of this matters profoundly for the longevity and professional development of social work careers. A 2014 article by Jackson states that, “Social work can be a high-stress occupation, and failure to take care of yourself along the way can result in ongoing stress, which may seep into your personal life and may diminish the satisfactions you derive from work and your ability to be fully present with your clients.” It is essential to take care of yourself as a practitioner, especially in social work.
If social work education is to support sustainable, rewarding careers, then things like curriculum reform are needed. This involves moving trauma-informed education and vicarious trauma prevention from the periphery to the very foundation of professional development and coursework. This would allow students not just to serve others but to protect their own capacity for care over a lifetime and comfortably engage in a profession that enhances human well-being.
References
Cavener, J., & Lonbay, S. (2024). Enhancing ‘best practice’ in trauma-informed social work education: insights from a study exploring educator and student experiences. Social Work Education, 43(2), 317–338. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2022.2091128
Jackson, K. (2014). Social worker self-care: The overlooked core competency. Social Work Today, 14(3), 14.
Kim, J., Chesworth, B., Franchino-Olsen, H., & Macy, R. J. (2022). A scoping review of vicarious trauma interventions for service providers working with people who have experienced traumatic events. Trauma, Violence & Abuse, 23(5), 1437–1460. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838021991310
Watts, M., & McAfee, M. (2021). Vicarious trauma and implications for social work Students. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2376&context=etd
Eugene Z. Bertrand is a Master of Social Work candidate at Columbia University and a research assistant at the Action Lab for Social Justice, where he focuses on trauma-informed education and structural inequities. He holds a bachelor’s degree in education and history and is committed to preparing future social workers for the emotional challenges of the profession.