Compassion Fatigue and Vicarious Traumatization Action Plan
PART I: What are Compassion Fatigue and Vicarious Traumatization
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Burnout: common among many occupations, it includes emotional exhaustion, reduced sense of achievement or accomplishment at
work, and a decay of idealistic beliefs and assumptions.
Compassion Fatigue: a type of burnout common among mental health professionals, it can also include mental and physical health
symptoms.
Vicarious Traumatization or Secondary Traumatic Stress: specifically includes symptoms of PTSD that stem from the indirect
experience of trauma through engaging with empathy in trauma-related work and hearing details of human suffering.
From distress, physical health problems, to full-blown PTSD symptoms, coping with these conditions is critical to performing your best work as a
helping professional.
Warning signs of compassion fatigue and vicarious traumatization:
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Free-floating anger/irritation
Over/undereating
Losing sleep over clients
Worry about not doing enough for
clients
Dreaming about clients (or their
trauma)
Feeling trapped by your work
Decreased feelings of personal
accomplishment
Blaming others
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Hopelessness in your work w/
clients
Staff conflict and poor
communication
Avoidance of working w/ trauma
Withdrawal from colleagues
Frequent job changes
Exhaustion
New/increased
absenteeism/tardiness
Low motivation
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Increased errors
Lack of flexibility
Detachment from clients and from
loved ones
Difficulty talking about your
feelings
Cynicism and skepticism
Guilt about own survival and/or
pleasure
Prevention, through self-care is important, but so is developing a plan to cope with compassion fatigue and vicarious traumatization.
PART I: Risk and Protective Factors
1. What are THREE RISK FACTORS for you that might place you at risk for vicarious trauma or compassion fatigue? Consider your personal life,
your work context, etc.
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2. What are THREE PROTECTIVE FACTORS for you that might place you at lower risk for vicarious trauma or compassion fatigue? Consider
your strengths, beliefs, personal life, work context, etc.
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Part II: Self-Care: Always critical! WHAT I SHOULD DO AT ALL TIMES TO BE MY HEALTHIEST SELF!
Physical (Diet, exercise, health needs, etc.)
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Relationships (Family, Friends, etc.)
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• (3)
Self-Care
Workplace (schedule, caseload, breaks, time off, etc.)
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• (3)
Psychological/Emotional (Pleasurable activities, relaxation,
personal therapy, etc.)
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Part III: Warning Signs of Vicarious Trauma and Plan of Action
Next, considering the warning signs (p.1) and your personal risk factors (p. 2) write down what you think the warning signs of vicarious trauma
and compassion fatigue would most likely be for you. Then, put in some strategies you might choose to use to try to manage these warning signs.
Consider your protective factors and self-care activities above.
Some good strategies at this point would be to: (consider above
chart physical and psychological aspects, workplace, relationships,
Early warning signs for me likely will be:
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Some good strategies at this point would be to: (consider above
chart physical and psychological aspects, workplace, relationships,
Serious warning signs for me likely will be:
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Part IV: Making a Commitment
Life happens. I imagine the obstacles to my self-care and
managing compassion fatigue/STS are most likely to be:
I can best head off or manage these obstacles by:
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In the moments in which it is hardest to care for yourself and attend to your compassion fatigue and stress, what is something you want to
remind yourself or tell yourself?
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