Therapy Chat | Psychotherapy | Mindfulness | Trauma | Attachment | Worthiness | Self Care | Parenting

Welcome! Today’s topic is one that’s important to therapy professionals and to first responders, too. To anyone who works with people who are suffering, Vicarious Trauma is important. I just attended a workshop on this topic by Laura Van Dernoot Lipsky, the author of Trauma Stewardship.  Here’s what you’ll hear in this episode: The terms Vicarious Trauma and Secondary Traumatic Stress are interchangeable. Therapists bear witness to the traumatic stories of clients and are affected by them. The nature of therapy work requires empathy; it’s honorable, brave, and important work intended to make the world a better place. There are small ways to lessen the impact of trauma, by mindfully checking in with yourself and using positive coping methods. As a therapist, how much are you “numbing?” We discuss examples. Laura recommends spending 12-60 minutes each day, for six days a week, working out to the degree of breaking a sweat. We owe it to the people we help to take care of our Vicarious Trauma, and regular exerci