The document discusses the introduction of a new topic or subject. In a few brief sentences, it sets the stage for further elaboration and details to follow. The introduction serves to give the reader a high-level overview at the outset.

1. Introduction to Counseling Skills for Working With Ebola Victims &
Survivors: An Imperative Art For Serving Humanity.
By: Ernest Garnark Smith ,Jr.
General Coordinator-Renewed Energy Serving Humanity-RESH
Table of Content
•Introduction
•Objectives
•Pre-test & Group discussion
•Understanding and identifying the core philosophical and
psychological traits of psychosocial counseling.
•Understanding Vicarious Trauma, Its Symptoms & Effects
•Developing Plans and Strategies for Psychosocial Supports in
Ebola Related Situations for Care-givers.
•Simple Yet Unique Skills Employed in Ebola Related Counseling.
•Post test
•Conclusion
IPA Building
Duport Road
Monrovia, LIBERIA
Tel: 231- 6-886-336-794/775-709-161
Email: reshliberia@gmail.com
Website : www.reshliberia.com

2. Learning , Thinking and Acting for Change
Introduction
I salute you and acknowledge the grace of God upon our lives thus far. Let us face the fact,
today is a great day for me. I’m honored to be invited here by Mama Destiny to give back to
humanity as usual… If you check your original itinerary you won’t see Ernest Garnark Smith, Jr.
Yet God wrote my name there from the onset of Ebola.
The essence of inculcating a viable mental health support system in the our national fight
against Ebola is an indispensable and Herculean task which demands the collaborative efforts
of professionals, paraprofessionals, champions like you and all social workers within the mental
health and psychosocial domain.
It is an opened secret that our decade plus long civil strive did inflict immense psychological
scars upon an enviable portion of our citizenry . Sadly, the hard and bitter truth is that EVD has
inflicted even more psychological and social scars and collateral damages!
The restoration of those ones whose dignity and sanity are stained by EVD rest significantly
upon the availability of some sort of well-organized psychosocial support mechanism.
And, it is against this humanitarian backdrop that we at do count it worthwhile to collaborate
with colleagues like you to jointly serve mankind in the area of mental health supports geared
toward leading survivors of traumatic experiences exploit their potentials in the trauma healing
process.

3. Discourse Objectives
By the end of this discourse you are expected to be able to…
1. Understand the Philosophy and Psychology of Psychosocial Counseling
2. Understand and Identify Vicarious Trauma, Its symptoms and Effects
3. Identify stimuli of vicarious trauma
4. Strategize and implement schemes relative to building a team support network against vicarious trauma
5. Acquire Basic Skills for Psychosocial Supports in Ebola Related Counseling
6. Appreciating Your Uniqueness to Defeat Stigmatization

4. The Philosophy and Psychology of Psychosocial
Counseling/Supports
-Why Do We Provide Psychosocial Supports/Counseling?
THE PHILOSOPHY
-How Do We Feel, Think , Act and Live When We Provide
Psychosocial Supports/Counseling?
THE PSYCHOLOGY

5. Vicarious Trauma and Its Effects on the Social Workers: Caring
for the Caregivers
Scholars of diver educational backgrounds do call the
experience differently but vicarious trauma or secondary
traumatization is a process of being stressed out and
experiencing traumatization as the result of working intimately
with victims and survivors of traumatic experiences.
The below are but a few of the many terminologies used to
describe the experience:
•Secondary Traumatic Stress
•Soul Sadness
•Compassion Fatigue
•Career moodiness
Despite the nomenclatures; one thing is certain, they all refer to
an odd experience undergone by ones who strive to provide
aids to those who suffer traumatic episode in their lives. It has
been known to be a cumulative but very consistent process
which if unchecked has the propensity to cause grievous havoc
on its victims.
Renewing Humanity Dignity & Restoring Hope
IPA Building
Sinkor Old Road
Monrovia, LIBERIA
Tel: 231- 6-886-336-794/775-709-161
Email: reshliberia@gmail.com
Website : www.reshliberia.com

6. RESH-Liberia
As you endeavor to provide aid to your clients via hearing and recording their
piteous and horrible tales, it’s quite difficult to escape the aftermath-vicarious
trauma because you have been in similar situation. The process is a cumulative
process. Though the average worker gets stress up but this stress or experience
being discussed is unique.
Because we’re different in our make ups, people respond to vicarious trauma
differently, thereby making it difficult to earmark a standard indicator of vicarious
trauma.
Nevertheless, the buck of effects and symptoms of vicarious trauma are parallel to
the very effects of trauma itself.
Symptoms and Effects of Vicarious Trauma
Sadness, depression ,withdrawal from activities and individuals.
Apathy, emotional numbness.
Fatigue, loss of energy; taking extra time to accomplish common task once done with ease.
Melancholia-consistent mood swing.
Intolerance, erratic, flashbacks
Impulsive,
Disbelief, finding it difficult to believe many of the horrible things heard
Loss of happiness and the passion of the job.
Loneliness, feeling that others are not caring enough for you and your clients.
Guilt for having survived while others experienced severe aftermaths.

7. Those stimuli that trigger vicarious trauma are of three paramount roots:
1.The work itself 2.The work environment 3. The Worker
The work itself
The nature of the job one does significantly contribute to trauma related stress by upsetting
the followings:
1.The severity of the traumas one is exposed to, and 2.The quantity of trauma contact and
exposure. For instance, those of you working with/taking victims and survivors statements
in the field do come in indirect contact with the horrible experiences of those you work with
on a daily basis.
How? You do hear their shocking revelation on war time ordeals and the gross violation of
the fundamental and basic God-given human rights. Some of the torments under went are so
cruelly designed that one finds it very unconventional. Working with perpetrators does cause
the similar aftermaths as those incur while working with victims.

8. The Work Environment
There are numerous stimuli in the work environment which initiate
vicarious traumatic backlashes. It might please you to realize that our
work environment includes our setting, its society, its socio-political
economical and other forces which essentially determine the
atmosphere in which the services is being rendered.
Example of some of these forces are:
– The terrain’s cultural norms and values.
– Inadequate job training
– The lack of supervision
– Isolation-no colleagues around, no access to communication, no
referral mechanism, additional health facilities for clients and
caregivers.
The Worker
The worker’s personal educational, psychological ,physical ,religious,
cultural, etc make-up and current status do extensively propel
vicarious trauma.

9. The impacts of trauma as earlier mentioned is accumulative; those with previously unsettled
life styles and make-ups do certainly react speedily to vicarious trauma especially when
deprive of activities, outlets or strong support system aim at relieving caregivers of work
related stress. Caregivers who themselves were cared for intensely either as EVD victims or
survivors of torture, etc will most likely find it tough to be
reminded of their own episodes or ordeals.
Nevertheless, one can not cease to serve humanity against the fact that everyone of us were
either a victim or survivor or some sort of gruesome molestation. We’re charged with a
responsibility, with this level of preparation given, let us perform to the best of our ability.

10. Developing plans for managing vicarious trauma
To handle and minimize vicarious trauma among people working with victims and survivors of
trauma-related experiences, one has got to put into place a designed plan.
According to two distinguished authors in the psychosocial academia Saakvitne and Pearlman, the
management and reduction of vicarious trauma can be achieve via these below concepts:
Awareness- in order to be able to reduce or manage vicarious trauma, one must firstly be equipped to
identify its symptoms and effects in oneself; like every other vocational skills, the adequate
management of stress requires a high level of training and proficiency. It requires experience to
fathom and get conversant with how you react to trauma-related stress and which management
plan works best in your case.
Awareness requires paying keen attention to the diver changes that occur in your body on a daily
basis relative to your job, family life and many more events. Many renowned authors have books on
the details involve in developing self-awareness but a simple beginning of the numerous tips centers
around having a vivid insight in regards to the symptoms and effects of vicarious trauma. Armed
with such knowledge gives one an added advantage relative to determining a plan of action to
cope with and manage his/her stress.
Please do note that most of the stimuli that instigates vicarious trauma are staunchly associated with
the lack of awareness. Please read more on the discussed topic for professional and intellectual

11. Balance- being able to creating and observe a balance lifestyle is an added advantage as far as
stress management is concerned. Many are slaves to their endless schedule thereby being unable
to prioritize the activities( personal, job, rest, family, social, religious, etc) of this life.
To many the issue of living a balance life isn’t a realistic gain and a sign of laziness therefore they
go on unloading themselves with job, social, religious, family, personal related matters almost at
the same time. Many social workers do schedule sessions at closer interval, such work style
triggers unfavorable experiences. Though balance doesn’t realistically refer to equity in handling
all one’s activities but as a stress management tool it refers to handling your activities at a time
and a pace that gives your chance to get refresh and do far better at resumption of our tasks. It
does includes allocating times for adequate rest far outside your very hectic perennial schedule. In
the counseling profession we call it self-care! Give yourselves some quality self-care; the old adage
‘too much of work without play makes Jake a dull boy’ is more of truth. Please quote me, in the
psychosocial domain, too much of work without play make you a walking dead.
Familiar but essential and worthwhile exercises like walking, listening to music, singing, jogging,
dancing, stretching up, breathing and relaxation exercises are quite helping in reducing stress.

12. Connectivity
Another long term adage, ‘no man is an island’ is glaring in this situation; every man at all times
needs the supports of others and in the face of difficulties that needs become even more desired.
The stress related to being a psychosocial supporter is so huge that the essence of strategizing and
establishing a substantial interpersonal support is no longer a news. If the many psychosocial
programs we run worldwide are to yield desirable fruits relative to projects objectives, the issue
of a vibrant support scheme among social workers, their families, co-workers, friends and their
communities is an urgent need.
Establishing, nurturing and maintaining contact with people who are dear to us in every
ramification is very necessary considering the numerous odds/ traumatic experiences that are
associated with our hectic but noble profession. Show me a team of workers that is engulfed with
mutual understanding and high degree of a natural sense of humor and I’ll show you a team that
is most likely successful in their operation. It’s rewarding to have a support group at your
worksites; such group serves as a fortress of hope in times of despair and crisis.

13. Your support group components could vary but most people settle for including members of different
entities who work with people who are somehow victims of some sort of traumatic occurrence. It’s
imperative to recognize that placing a member who has evaluative authority influence upon the other
in the same group isn’t too good an option. Although this is a hard thing to achieve, yet it’s
achievable!
Once a support group is instituted, it provides an opportunity and room to discuss trauma-related
experiences that are encountered in the field on a daily basis. During group sessions, one might
become opportune to get hints and supportive clues from someone who has the expertise in dealing
with trauma and stress related circumstances.
It is important to discuss and consider the following things and tips if a group is to be successful.
The group’s aims and objectives.
Time, place and frequency of meetings.
Group size and policy as regards membership.
Limitation and duration.
Group members’ responsibility( ies).

14. It very important to respect the views and contributions of group members because the success of the
groups significantly depends upon the level of cordiality and respect experience among group
members. The atmosphere of a group session should be categorized by a non-judgmental acceptance so
as to create a safe space for the group’s members. Such attitude create a safe aura where trust is visible!

15. Basic Counseling Skills Employed in Ebola Related Counseling
Ebola is an unprecedented illness which dehumanizes its victims and drags one into absolute
disregard. It breaks the commonest yet most cherish norm of our society; communal tie,
strong family bond, adequate care and support for the sick and weak.
Ebola comes with an isolation that is alien and epitomizes disdain thereby causing us more
mental/psychological harms which if not checked exacerbate physical degeneration. Our
minds is where ebola wins the first and most important aspect of the fierce battle we are
engaged in with this deadly disease. One might argue that all illness is psychological yet the
manner and fashion about every thing ebola related has more negative psychological impacts
that any illness I currently know.. I stand to be corrected!

16. Basic Counseling Skills Employed in Ebola Related
Counseling
Every ebola victim is a human who despite being at a critical crossroad still deserves to
be treated with dignity and accorded all his/her inalienable rights and, amongst those
rights is the provision of holistic medical service of which quality psychosocial supports
and mental health are fundamental component.
It is even more important that ebola victims have access to professional counseling
because they are not just victims of physical illness but victims of gross discrimination
and abject neglect in the truest sense of the word. They in most cases are preys to minor
depression which speedily degenerate into acute depression which science have proven
is a staunch barrier to physical healing which originates from the mind.
From my experience of working with clients in refugee camps, prisons, ghettoes,
hospital and, even victims in the very E.L.W.A. Ebola Treatment Unit, records have
shown that patients and clients who were given quality psychosocial supports tend
develop positive mindset which catapulted their healings.

17. Basic Skills for Counseling Ebola Victims
In providing the rudimentary psychosocial support for Ebola victims especially counseling,
there are many cardinal factors one needs to take into consideration:
-The service provider MUST have the requisite skills and experience
-The basic universal safety procedures MUST not be overlooked
-Start with RAPPORT BUILDING
•Introduce yourself and clearly state your mission/why you are there.
•Seek the client’s permission to proceed after the above.
•Assure the client of all the ethics and norms of the profession-confidentiality and others.
-Empathy is the hallmark and foundation of the support process.
-You are the client’s guide not a lawyer or commander; don’t advise, instead suggest.
-Cognitive Therapy ( the mind work-initiate thought provoking process of making the client
to start thinking normally again) is the fulcrum upon which EVD Psychosocial counseling
hinges
-Create a traditional network( families and friends) for the client via technology : tele-
counseling.
-Research and seek capacity building periodically: Psychosocial counseling is a noble and
delicate profession that is being bastardized in Liberia. Everyone is a counselor despite not
having the minimum qualification and experience. It’s a SHAME…

18. Appreciating Your Uniqueness to Defeat Stigmatization
It has recently been proven that in order to be stigmatized you must firstly stigmatized
yourself by seeing yourself from the perspective of those who stigmatize you.
-Almost no one willfully walk into situation which draws stigma to them, if the said is indeed
true, why do you allow someone to make you to feel so horrible about yourselves?
- Stigmatization and discrimination have for centuries suffered abject odds yet several people
have REFUSED to allow people’s devilish perception about them to deter them. Eg: Madiba
Nelson Mandala; Barack Hussein Obama, Cathy Coleman of Australia; Erwin ‘Magic’
Johnson former of the LA Lakers; Beyan Kotta of the Association of the Blinds; and most of
us….
Tips to Defeat Stigmatization/Discrimination
•Against the odds appreciate your uniqueness
•Be grateful that you survived your ordeal
•Don’t unnecessary hide your identity
•Be an advocate for your colleagues , those not in your situation and even yourself.
•Research and be very knowledgeable about your uniqueness
•If the need be and if you have the time try as much as possible to educate some who
stigmatized you; it might surprise you to know that most of them are ignorant!

19. Conclusion
Conclusively, the issue of a Champion/EVD survivor is a welcoming and resourceful
venture yet it is exceedingly imperative that those who provide cares be adequately
equipped and cared before providing services for other.
If our Champions are to make any significantly gain in the role as care-givers in this
national fight against EVD, it is very expedient that they be thoroughly fortified
physically , spiritually, emotionally and, of course intellectually as the challenge is
Herculean and requires adequate preparation!
As you render your sacrificial services to humanity even under harsh circumstances,
it’s our hope that you apply the gain insights and skills. Compos Mentis-Sound
Minds!