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Notes to Episode
Today we’re talking with case manager Rosie Dickson about the related phenomena of secondary and vicarious trauma: what they are; the symptoms; their prevalence in case management; staying strong and balancing your caseload when grief is all around; support and supervision for employees at times of vulnerability; how trauma can affect legal colleagues; ideas for addressing the problem through self-care, therapy, mindfulness and undisturbed time off… and the traditional top tips.Keywords:
vicarious trauma, stress, compassion fatigue, burnout, clinical psychologist, occupational therapy, occupational psychology, training, accident, exposure, emotional impact, bereavement, grief, vulnerability, self-awareness, anxiety, changing behaviour, fatigue, overwhelm, lawyers, camaraderie, informal support structures, Cognitive Analytic Therapy, CAT, curiosity, self-care, mindfulness, off-duty, limitations, boundaries, reflective supervision.
0:46 Definition of vicarious trauma
2:20 Prevalence of vicarious trauma in case management
5:08 Trauma in I&A meetings
8:36 Being the strong one
10:45 Balancing case load when experiencing grief
14:48 Supporting employees during vulnerable periods
16:11 Signs that you are experiencing vicarious trauma
20:31 Supervision
23:09 Law colleagues
26:04 Self-care
27:32 Therapy
30:00 Mindfulness
33:42 Spas and undisturbed leisure time
35:17 Tips for dealing with vicarious trauma
Quotes:
9:45 “We are caring professions, we do want to help people… and if it’s not part of our training… potentially we’re at risk.”
24:41 “You might have to be quite pro-active to find those informal structures that are going to help you.”
28:56 “Therapy really increased my level of awareness… and particularly early signs of emotional reactions.”
36:02 “It’s ok to say no if you feel you are overloaded. It’s a good way of protecting yourself from the effects of vicarious trauma.”
Guest: Rosie Dickson, Occupational Psychologist and Independent Case Manager for HCML
Presenter: Dr Shabnam Berry-Khan, Director of PsychWorks Associates
Editor: Emily Crosby Media