Helping the helpers — with safety, care, and awareness
Working in the helping professions often means holding space for others' trauma — but without the right support, this can take a toll. Trauma-informed supervision is a specialised form of professional supervision that recognises the emotional impact of care work and provides a safe, restorative space for practitioners to reflect, recalibrate, and stay well.
This approach is rooted in research and has grown alongside a broader movement to support those exposed to indirect trauma, vicarious stress, and emotional fatigue in their work. I offer this style of supervision having researched stress and indirect trauma extensively in my post graduate research at the University of Auckland, in combination with having my own experiences of indirect trauma. Trauma informed supervision is a much needed, but under utilised form of supervision in New Zealand.
What is trauma-informed supervision?
Trauma-informed supervision is a reflective practice that:
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Acknowledges the emotional and psychological impact of trauma exposure — both from clients and from past personal experience
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Emphasises safety and trust within the supervisory relationship
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Supports restoration and resilience, not just reflection and performance
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Is attuned to identity, culture, and context
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Helps prevent re-traumatisation, emotional exhaustion, and burnout
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It’s a space where you can feel seen and supported — not just as a practitioner, but as a whole person.
Core principles
Drawing from leading frameworks and research, trauma-informed supervision is guided by the following principles:
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Safety – creating an emotionally and physically secure environment
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Trust & transparency – clear communication, boundaries, and reliable practices
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Peer support – fostering connection and shared understanding
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Empowerment – building on your strengths and self-determination
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Cultural responsiveness – acknowledging the role of culture, history, identity, and power
Who is this for?
Trauma-informed supervision is particularly beneficial for:
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Social workers, therapists, and counsellors
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Probation officers, nurses, and first responders
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Educators and community workers
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Legal professionals exposed to client trauma
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Anyone regularly holding emotional complexity in their role
If you’re feeling emotionally stretched by your work — or want to stay grounded and well in a demanding environment — this approach may be a good fit.
A space to reflect, restore, and reconnect
Trauma-informed supervision isn’t just about clinical insight or technical skill. It’s about creating a space where you can be supported as a human being doing emotionally significant work.
If this sounds like what you need, I’d love to connect.
Understanding indirect trauma
Professionals in the helping professions are often exposed to trauma — not directly, but through the people they support or the material they must engage with. This exposure is known as indirect trauma, a concept studied alongside PTSD and now widely recognised as the distinct subtypes of:
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Vicarious Trauma
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Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS)
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Compassion Fatigue
Each presents differently, but all can take a significant toll on wellbeing if left unsupported.
Vicarious Trauma
Vicarious trauma develops over time through repeated exposure to the traumatic experiences of others. It's common among professionals who work closely with people processing significant distress, including those recovering from or deeply affected by trauma. It can lead to changes in worldview, decreased trust, emotional withdrawal, reduced self-esteem, and avoidant behaviours. The key feature is that this happens gradually — a cumulative effect of empathic engagement without adequate restorative support.
Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS)
STS occurs when professionals are exposed to vivid and distressing trauma-related material — such as case files, reports, photos, audio, or video — often in graphic detail. Unlike vicarious trauma, STS can emerge quickly, even after a single overwhelming exposure. It is especially prevalent among professionals working in law, policing, and corrections who routinely encounter traumatic content in the course of their duties.
Compassion Fatigue
Compassion fatigue refers to the emotional exhaustion that can result from prolonged caregiving or empathetic engagement. When professionals are constantly supporting others in pain — while also managing their own emotional responses — it can erode their internal reserves. Over time, this can lead to a sense of depletion, cynicism, and a reduced capacity to connect, even with those they care about most.
Why this matters
Each of these forms of indirect trauma can lead to increased anxiety, depression, desensitisation, emotional dysregulation, and changes in how professionals relate to the world, others, and themselves. Without intervention, this can impact both personal wellbeing and professional practice. But it doesn’t have to.
The role of supervision
Reflective professional supervision — particularly trauma-informed supervision — is a proven approach to supporting professionals who are exposed to indirect trauma. These supervisory relationships provide space for processing, restoration, and learning.
While supervision is not therapy, it often brings therapeutic benefits by creating a structured and compassionate environment for reflection and repair.
In closing
Professionals don't need to carry the weight of their work alone. With the right kind of support — grounded in reflection, safety, and trust — it’s possible to remain connected, effective, and well. If you are interested to learn more about how trauma informed supervision can support you, please get in touch with me here.