Overcoming Compassion Fatigue: Attorney Wellness When Working With Clients in Trauma

Special care is needed when working with clients in trauma, to support them and to protect yourself. This session covers the ways to prevent secondary and vicarious trauma when working with clients in trauma, including how to maintain your equilibrium while hearing stories of trauma and tips on self-care during the interview and afterward. We will define the serious consequences that may arise for practitioners working with those in trauma and outline a well-being approach to prevent burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and vicarious trauma. 

This program will benefit practitioners who work with clients in trauma, including those in criminal law, family law, immigration law, employment law, and all those whose work, including pro bono work, touches on issues of trauma.  

1. Discuss how a traumatic event affects a person's ability to think and function
2. Describe the contagion effect of trauma and other strong emotions
3. Develop the tools to protect yourself from secondary and vicarious trauma and mitigate their effects
4. Identify techniques to preserve mental and physical health when working with those experiencing trauma