Understanding vicarious trauma in the context of Covid 19 and racial injustice

Event takes place via zoom from 10:00am PT to 11:00am PT.

This free program, when attended in its entirety offers 1.0 APA CE for Psychologists and 1.0 BBS California CEU for Counselors, Social Workers and Marriage and Family Therapists.

Mental Health professionals routinely provide care to individuals with significant trauma histories. The incessant responsiveness and empathic regard that is required when giving care to trauma clients can result in the therapist being traumatized as well. This presentation will focus on vicarious trauma and how it manifests both as burnout and compassion fatigue. An understanding of vicarious trauma will be discussed from a theoretical framework that will highlight the symptoms of vicarious trauma, underscoring mental health workers who are most at risk for suffering from vicarious trauma.
A secondary aspect of the presentation will focus on the impact of collective trauma resulting from Covid 19. Providing models to understand collective trauma, can be useful to practitioners to understand the impact of the Pandemic on people’s psychological and emotional functioning. The examination of historical events associated with collective trauma will provide a lens for larger contextualization of the impact of Covid 19. Moreover, heightened vicarious trauma reactions in therapists and healthcare practitioners due to the Pandemic will be explored.
A final objective of the presentation will center on the effects of racial injustice and systematic racism on underrepresented communities. An examination of violence and media portrayals of discrimination will be discussed in terms of producing trauma and vicarious trauma responses. The overarching impact of racial discrimination on mental health and physical health will also be explored. Racial oppression and systematic racism will be highlighted in terms of increasing collective trauma and vicarious trauma in specific communities.