We understand how tough it is for professionals who work in emotionally challenging situations. This session explores what vicarious trauma is, how it can affect individuals and teams, and what helps people stay emotionally safe during difficult times.
Grounded in trauma-informed practice, the session supports participants to:
This three-hour session is designed to give a deeper understanding of vicarious trauma, recognising how it can impact people differently and what helps to manage its impact over time. The training aims to help participants to:
It also provides the opportunity to explore organisation-specific challenges and explore practical, realistic strategies to strengthen boundaries, support colleagues, and build working environments that reduce the risk of vicarious trauma.
What is vicarious trauma, how does it impact people differently within your organisation, and how do we know we are experiencing it within ourselves and others?
We’ll explore the factors that contribute to it, learn how to recognise when we’re feeling overwhelmed, and explore practical ways to cope to ensure we manage the emotional toll while taking care of our mental health.
We’ll reflect on our own situations, acknowledge our limitations, and consider development opportunities. We’ll also consider ways to avoid compassion fatigue and burnout ourselves, and how staff are able to look after their wellbeing.
Between 40% and 85% of helping professionals can experience vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue.
Gaining a deeper understanding of vicarious trauma helps the way we approach and shape the conversations we have about it.
Encouraging open, honest conversations in the workplace and addressing the issue directly, rather than avoiding it, is crucial. It starts with leadership, creating environments where employees feel comfortable asking for help.
This training is for people whose roles involve supporting others through distressing, complex, or traumatic experiences. Vicarious trauma can affect anyone who regularly listens to, sees, or works alongside the impact of trauma as part of their job which can include:
Frontline and support workers
Social workers and care professionals
Housing, homelessness, and supported accommodation staff
Health and mental health professionals
Emergency services, safeguarding and crisis response roles
Customer-facing roles dealing with distress, risk, or conflict
Managers and leaders supporting teams in emotionally demanding work
“Course was fantastic and it was a very informative training session with very in depth knowledge. The trainers were fantastic, engaging, interactive and it was clear to see they both had a passion in their roles”
“I thought the facilitation and non judgemental acceptance attitude was excellent and helped the openness of conversation, our reflection and my learning”
“I found this very helpful, easy to digest and also practical in terms of being able to apply the techniques and guidance moving forward - both in my own work and with others”
“Very informative. The trainer is amazing in her knowledge, delivery and explanation. What can be a hard topic she lightens really well. This should be made available to as many people as possible if support people as best as we can”
Vicarious trauma can occur when someone is repeatedly affected by the traumatic experiences of others, often through hearing or witnessing detailed first-hand accounts as part of their work.
Over time, the stories shared by clients or members of the public can begin to affect us emotionally. Even though we have not experienced the trauma ourselves, the images, feelings, and details can stay with us, impacting how we think, feel, and respond.
This can make it difficult to switch off from work or to shake off the emotional weight of what we have heard or seen, particularly for those working in caring, supportive, or frontline roles.
This training explores what vicarious trauma is, how it develops, and the impact it can have on individuals and teams. Participants learn to recognise early signs in themselves and others, understand why certain roles carry higher risk, and explore practical ways to protect emotional wellbeing. The session also looks at boundaries, support, and culture, helping people feel more confident working in trauma-informed, sustainable ways.
This training is for people whose roles involve supporting others through distressing, complex, or traumatic experiences. Vicarious trauma can affect anyone who regularly listens to, witnesses, or works alongside the impact of trauma as part of their job which can include:
Frontline and support workers
Social workers and care professionals
Housing, homelessness, and supported accommodation staff
Health and mental health professionals
Emergency services, safeguarding and crisis response roles
Customer-facing roles dealing with distress, risk, or conflict
Managers and leaders supporting teams in emotionally demanding work
A shared understanding of what vicarious trauma is and how it can show up at work
Greater awareness of emotional impact and early warning signs within the team
Practical tools to manage emotional load and maintain healthy boundaries
More confidence having open, supportive conversations about wellbeing
Seeking support early rather than waiting for crisis or burnout
A more trauma-informed, psychologically safe team culture
Increased capacity to sustain emotionally demanding work over time
Yes. While the core structure of the session stays the same, there is always space to explore organisation-specific issues. We encourage participants to bring real examples from their own roles and workplaces so we can think together about what’s happening, what’s getting in the way, and what realistic changes might help.
If you would like us to focus on a particular team, service area or challenge, we can discuss this with you before the session.
Yes. The session can be delivered online or in person. For remote or hybrid teams, online delivery can be a helpful way to bring people together from different locations. We still build in opportunities for reflection, small-group conversations and questions, so that staff feel able to share their experiences and learn from one another.
This vicarious trauma training for employees can form part of a wider approach to workplace wellbeing. Many organisations choose to combine it with:
Consultancy around workplace culture and systems
Reflective practice or supervision for staff
Counselling for employees who need more individual support
Additional training for managers and leaders
We’re happy to talk with you about what might be most helpful for your organisation and how different elements can work together.
If you’re interested in bringing this burnout training into your organisation, the first step is simply to start a conversation with us. You can contact our team or book a call using the links on this page. We’ll talk through what you’re looking for, who will be attending, and what you hope will change as a result of the training, and we’ll take it from there together.
Get in touch and start a conversation with us