This document discusses burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma experienced by professionals working with difficult clients or traumatic situations. Burnout develops over time due to prolonged stress and lack of support, while compassion fatigue results in physical and emotional exhaustion from dedicating energy to others without receiving support. Vicarious trauma involves taking on the emotional burden of others' trauma through indirect exposure and prioritizing others' needs over one's own. The document recommends awareness, balance, and connection as ways to address vicarious trauma through self-care practices that reduce stress and maintain well-being.

1. BURNOUT AND
COMPASSION
FATIGUE

2. WHAT IS BURNOUT?
Loss of emotional responsiveness Negative attitude about job Caused by prolonged stress

3. WHY DOES IT
HAPPEN?
Work environment
issues
• Lack of clarity in role
• Demands of the job
• Lack of support
Stress events
• Working with difficult clients
• Build up of stress of the job
• Take on too much

4. WHAT IS
COMPASSION
FATIGUE?
Physical and emotional fatigue that results
from our work
Happens over time
Loss of hope for change

5. WHY DOES IT
HAPPEN?
 You devote tons of energy to others
and don’t get anything back
 You don’t feel reassured that your
work is relevant

6. HOW ARE BURNOUT AND COMPASSION FATIGUE DIFFERENT?
Compassion
Fatigue
Rapid onset while
burnout emerges
over time
Faster recovery
Impact from work
with students
Burnout Emerges over time
Takes longer to
bounce back
Impact from stress
of the job

7. HOW DO BURNOUT AND COMPASSION FATIGUE AFFECT US?
Less energy to invest in
your work
Respond to clients in a
detached manner
Reduced sense of personal
accomplishment
Passive capitulation (going
through the motions
without emotions)
Finding a “comfortable”
place with your work
Withdrawal
Overidentification with
disempowered clients—
more likely to complain
than fix
Constant advocating for
changes to reduce/prevent
burnout

8. WHAT IS VICARIOUS TRAUMA?
 “Emotional residue” of exposure to others’ trauma
 State of tension and preoccupation with others’ stories
 Cannot be as easily resolved as burnout/compassion fatigue
 Comes as a result of prioritizing others’ needs over our own

9. SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
 Avoidance of trauma
 Becoming numb to the trauma
 Difficulty talking about feelings
 Angry/irritated
 Over-eating/under-eating
 Trouble sleeping
 Worrying about not doing enough
 Dreaming about students
 Diminished joy toward things you love
 Feeling trapped by your work
 Less satisfaction and personal accomplishment
 Feeling hopeless
 Blaming others
 Withdrawn/isolated
 Questioning worldview—shatters your perception
 Poor performance on the job
 Excessive caregiving
 Hyper vigilance

10. ABC’S OF
ADDRESSING
VICARIOUS
TRAUMA
Awareness of our own needs, limits, emotions
and resources
Balance of work and play, taking care of
yourself and others
Connection to yourself, others and
something larger

11. SELF-CARE
 Activities and practices to reduce
stress and enhance our well-being
 Helps to manage challenges of the
work
 Increases awareness of personal
vulnerabilities
 Aims to maintain balance in life