The violent assaults on our nation’s capitol are horrific. Watching US citizens breach national security, threaten the safety of our leaders, and vandalize our nation’s capitol is terrifying. As mental health professionals, we are often called upon to help people make sense of scary and dangerous situations. This can be incredibly challenging in normal circumstances. It is even harder to do this in this situation because we are also affected by the security breach and trying to process and make sense of our emotions. Many of us have found ourselves asking ourselves how we can possibly help people feel safe and calm when we are terrified as well. When counseling traumatized individuals, we run the risk of experiencing vicarious trauma. In this instance, we are at risk of experiencing our trauma from witnessing the events as well as vicarious trauma from our clients. This complex interaction of multiple types of trauma is incredibly hard to experience and work through.
First of all, you are not alone. This work is challenging and it is normal to have emotional reactions. You may be feeling some of the following emotions, thoughts, and reactions:
Vicarious Trauma
Personal Trauma
Anxiety
Depression
Anger
Fear of experiencing hate crimes as a member of a minority of group
Grief
Emotional Fatigue
Emotional Burnout
Isolation and loneliness
Lack of emotional support at the workplace or at home
Feeling overwhelmed
Feeling pressure to take care of or fix the world
Confused of how to help
Feeling ineffective in your ability to help
These articles from the APA and USA Today validate what many of us may be feeling
Riots and Violence and How to Cope
APA President and CEO Condemn Violence at the Capitol
Tips for Working Through Complex Trauma
Process Your Emotions: Take time to identify and process your personal reactions and emotions to last week’s events
Talk it out with a colleague, friend, or your own therapist
Journal
Self-Validation:
Validate your emotions
Remind yourself that you are human and having emotional reactions is normal
Remind yourself that it is ok and normal to feel powerless and unsafe
Remind yourself that your work may look or feel different that it usually does and it is normal to feel less than competent than you usually do. Take a deep breath, return to your foundational skills, and consult if needed.
Practice Self-Care: It is important to practice what we preach and take care of ourselves too
Set Boundaries: Setting boundaries can help prevent emotional burnout
Set Clinical Boundaries
Set clear boundaries in session regarding your personal beliefs, feelings, and thoughts
Set work/life boundaries:
Limit the amount of news and social media you consume
Set hours to do work and refrain working outside of those hours
Treat personal time as a priority, try scheduling it on your calendar
Set clear expectations with your clients about when you are and are not available
Refrain from texting with clients
Consult: Having a group of colleagues to consult with helps us work through vicarious trauma, reduce feelings of isolation, loneliness, emotional fatigue, and burnout. Consultation groups also allow us to have a space to talk through challenging clinical situations.
Take breaks during the day to process your own emotional reactions and find healthy distractions.
Take time off: Mental health professionals can take mental health days too
Engage in your own therapy: It’s ok to admit that we need support too. Engaging in your own therapy can give you the space you need to process your emotions and handle them in healthy ways.
Educate yourself on vicarious trauma: We are at risk of taking on our clients’ emotional pain. Learning tools to prevent this from happening is important. Trauma Stewardship by Laura Van Dernoot is an excellent resource.
If you are having thoughts of death or harming yourself: Reach out for support and use the resources you give your clients. If you need resources, feel free to reach out to us. Contact Us If you are in criss call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Other Articles that Highlight What our Clients or Ourselves may be Experiencing: