Understanding Vicarious Trauma:

What Vicarious Trauma is and why it matters in the workplace.

In workplaces where people support others through challenging life events—whether as a colleague, manager, therapists, healthcare worker, educator, social worker, or even HR professional —empathy is at the core of what they do. But there’s a lesser-known cost to this emotional labour: vicarious trauma.

Understanding Vicarious Trauma

Recognising and Responding to Secondary Stress in the Workplace

While not always talked about, vicarious trauma is real, and it deserves attention. Recognising it is essential not only for individual wellbeing but also emotional wellbeing at work especially for fostering sustainable, compassionate workplaces.

What Is Vicarious Trauma?

Vicarious trauma—sometimes called secondary trauma—occurs when someone is affected by repeated exposure to other people’s traumatic stories or emotional distress. You don’t need to directly experience trauma to feel its psychological weight; just listening to, witnessing, or supporting others through it can be enough to take a toll.

Over time, this emotional residue can change how we view the world, our relationships, and even ourselves. It’s a quiet, often invisible form of distress that can sneak up on even the most resilient professionals.

Common Signs to Watch Out for with Trauma Related Mental Health

Because vicarious trauma builds gradually, its signs can be mistaken for “just stress” or burnout. But tuning in to how we’re feeling—and how those feelings are affecting our work and life—is vital.

You might be experiencing vicarious trauma if you notice:

• • Emotional exhaustion or a sense of numbness

• • Trouble sleeping, disturbing dreams, or intrusive thoughts

• • Increased irritability, sadness, or anxiety

• • Difficulty concentrating or making decisions

• • A sense of helplessness or cynicism about your work

• • Avoidance of certain people, tasks, or emotions

• • A loss of empathy or connection with others

If any of these resonate, it’s not a sign of weakness—it’s a sign that you care deeply. And that care needs space to breathe.

What Can We Do To Help?

For Individuals:

• • Set boundaries between work and personal life

• • Practice regular self-care—rest, creativity, nature, movement

• • Seek out clinical supervision or peer reflection groups

• • Talk about how you’re feeling with trusted colleagues or professionals

• • Be honest with yourself: It’s okay to not always feel okay

For Workplaces:

• • Become a trauma-informed workplace by providing trauma-informed training for staff and managers

• • Create space for team debriefs and open, judgment-free conversations

• • Offer access to Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) or mental health services
    
    • • CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
    • • Heads Together,www.headstogether.org.uk
    • • HUMEN www.wearehumen.org
    • • Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
    • • Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
    • • Samaritans,www.samaritans.org, 116 123

• • Actively promote a culture of psychological safety

• • Encourage and normalise rest, boundaries, and emotional check-ins

Why Recognising Vicarious Trauma Is Important

Ignoring vicarious trauma doesn’t make it go away—it just makes it harder to recognise and address. Supporting staff who carry the emotional weight of others’ experiences isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a necessity for healthy, sustainable work environments. Workplace mental health is a real consideration to be addressed.

By acknowledging secondary trauma and equipping ourselves with the tools to manage it, we build not just more resilient teams, but more humane and compassionate workplaces…in the long run, everyone benefits.

Final Thought

If you’re someone who regularly holds space for others, make sure you have space held for you too. Awareness is the first step, but it’s how we respond—with empathy, support, and practical action—that makes the real difference.

Take a look at the Strongmind Trauma Management courses to empower your workforce:

• • Understanding Trauma – Strongmind

• • Trauma Risk Management Practitioner – Strongmind

• • Trauma Informed Practice  – Strongmind

Mental health in the workplace is important because it supports employee wellbeing, enhances productivity, and fosters a positive, resilient, and sustainable work culture.