What is Trauma informed supervision?
There has been continued growth in the idea of supporting practitioners with the difficult emotions and tolls that arise from working in the helping professions, and has seen the emergence of models of professional supervision which are trauma informed in their style and focus (Jones & Branco, 2020).
Trauma informed supervision is an approach that pays a particular attention to the impacts of trauma on people working in the helping professions, and seeks to establish a secure and nurturing atmosphere for both supervisors and supervisees to safe guard them in these challenging practice contexts (Knight, 2020, 2021; Knight & Borders, 2018).
This approach recognises that individuals might have encountered traumatic experiences in their lives, (both the professionals and clients), which can influence their conduct, emotions, and overall health (Jordan, 2018). It encompasses a style which emphasises the restorative function within supervision to support practitioners who are particularly exposed to indirect traumas in their work context.
Tenets of trauma-informed supervision encompass a range of attributes, starting with an emphasis on safety within the supervisory setting which is both physically and emotionally secure for all individuals involved (Collins-Camargo & Antle, 2020). Supervision which embodies trustworthiness and transparency that fosters connection through explicit communication and reliable practices is a feature, as well as peer support which promotes cooperation and assistance among supervisees to cultivate a sense of community (Borders et al., 2023).
This style of supervision has a focus on empowerment that enhances the strengths and resilience of supervisees, enabling them to assume an active role in their educational and developmental processes (Berger & Quiros, 2014). Additionally trauma informed supervision remains aware of and attends to dynamics concerning the cultural, historical, and gender or identity based factors for the people involved (Berger et al., 2020).
By applying these tenets, trauma-informed supervision aspires to mitigate the likelihood of re-traumatization for supervisees and encourage healing and development within a supportive supervisory framework.
What is indirect trauma?
The concept of indirect trauma has been studied alongside research attending to PTSD (Even et al., 2024), and over time has been expanded to include three subvariants which have been defined as vicarious trauma (Dunkley & Whelan, 2006), secondary traumatic stress (Yassen, 2013), and compassion fatigue (Yassen, 2013).
Vicarious trauma is a type of indirect trauma which comes from exposure to the traumatic events experienced by others over the long term (Kim et al., 2022). It is best understood as the negative emotional and psychological effects experienced by working professionals who are routinely and repetitively exposed to the trauma and distress of the clients they are working with (Branson, 2019). These effects can include changes in belief systems, decreased trust, diminished self-esteem, and avoidant behaviours (Scott & Freckelton, 2024). This can take place with professionals who interact with clients or people who have recently been exposed to a primary traumatic event, all the way through to someone who is far down the road of PTSD and seeking help (McNeillie & Rose, 2021). In summary vicarious trauma is the routine and general exposure to the trauma of others, which over time starts to effect the working professional negatively if left unsupported.
Secondary traumatic stress (STS) is another form of indirect trauma exposure that professionals may encounter in their work context, and this is the form of indirect trauma which is referenced within the PTSD literature. This type of indirect trauma occurs when the working professional is regularly subjected to potentially distressing and traumatic materials such as reports, pictures, videos, audio recordings, or any other type of content which they have to engage with as part of their professional work that documents or reports on the traumatic circumstances of others often in great detail (Rauvola et al., 2019). STS has the potential to develop more rapidly for working professionals, and in some instances can exhibit itself after just one exposure of overwhelming and disturbing content (Ludick & Figley, 2017). Professionals who work in the areas connected with law, order, and justice are over represented in STS exposure (Morabito et al., 2020). This includes the legal profession as a whole, police, and corrections professionals such as probation officers.
Compassion fatigue is the last of the three concepts which expand on the wider idea of indirect trauma and is understood as a condition related to working professionals who are often caring for and in service to others (Harris & Griffin, 2015). It is associated with the emotional labour involved where the working professional is having to manage their own internal responses to the presenting traumas and stresses of the client base they are working with (Kruml & Geddes, 2000; Ledoux, 2015). Through trying to maintain positive relational rapport as well as empathy, this can over time lead the individual to become emotionally fatigued if they are not well supported or finding balance to restore themselves outside of their work (Showalter, 2010).
Vicarious trauma, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion fatigue can each have a negative effect on the individual in a variety of ways. Symptoms can include increases in anxiety, depression, desensitisation, and challenges in managing daily life and relationships. Additionally these types of indirect trauma can shift and influence the professional’s perception of the world, create feelings of powerlessness, and a reduced sense of security which can impact on the individual through the long term.
Despite the complexities associated with exposure to indirect trauma working professionals in the helping professions need not suffer unnecessarily. Professional reflective supervision, and trauma informed supervision have been found to support workers who are working with indirect trauma exposure. By engaging in these practices which have an emphasis on the restorative function found within supervision working professionals can benefit from this supportive relationship that can also bring in therapeutic benefits as well.