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Due to the increasing number of clients seeking counseling who have experienced trauma, counselors are at a greater risk for developing vicarious traumatization and becoming impaired. Wellness has been described as helpful in managing the effects of working with clients who have experienced trauma and in mitigating impairment. The current pilot study examined how exposure to client trauma experiences impacted counselors' (N = 68) wellness and how exposure to client trauma along with wellness influenced vicarious traumatization. Participants had an average of 12.9 years of experience and a caseload on which most clients reported a trauma history. The expectation that greater exposure to client trauma would influence wellness was not met. However, results indicated that counselors with higher levels of wellness along with exposure to client trauma exhibited significantly lower levels of vicarious traumatization. The pilot study builds awareness of vicarious traumatization and highlights the importance of wellness.
In the United States, it is estimated that at least 70% of adults have experienced at least one type of trauma (PTSD Alliance, n.d.). The trauma experiences include a single event or set of circumstances perceived by an individual as physically or emotionally harmful, threatening, or overwhelming, with the ability to cause long-lasting adverse effects on the individual's physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2014). According to Tuma's (2013) report to the National Advisory Mental Health Council, nearly eight million people suffer from symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder on a daily basis. When Kilpatrick et al. (2013) evaluated the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder, they found that 89.7% of study respondents reported having experienced direct or indirect trauma. In community mental health centers, Bride (2004) found that between 82% and 94% of clients seeking treatment had experienced some form of trauma. If a majority of people seeking counseling have experienced trauma, then it is very likely that counselors will be exposed to the traumatic experiences of their clients. As counselors listen to the stories of trauma from their clients, there is potential for counselors to be negatively impacted. The negative impact occurs as a result of exposure to client trauma experiences and places counselors at risk of developing vicarious traumatization and decreased levels of wellness. Researchers have evaluated the...