What is Vicarious Traumatization

This chapter will embody a day in the life of a licensed therapist and four individuals (who are leaders from various professional backgrounds) with a universal trauma response to the COVID-19 pandemic. On any given day, their jobs are not for the faint of heart; they are accustomed to seeing people at their nadir. However, this pandemic has made them question their resiliency, tapped into their reserves, and exhausted their previous effective coping mechanisms. In an effort to seek refuge and respite, their answers lie in their last resort: self-care (something none of them make time for, but something all of them require). Through their collaborative work with a therapist, these leaders were able to prioritize safety within their organizations, facilitate accountability among staff, and encourage social support within their departments.