Vicarious Resilience: A New Concept in Work With Those Who Survive Trauma

Abstract

This study explores the formulation of a new concept: vicarious resilience. It addresses the question of how psychotherapists who work with survivors of political violence or kidnapping are affected by their clients'stories of resilience. It focuses on the psychotherapists' interpretations of their clients' stories, and how they make sense of the impact that these stories have had on their lives. In semistructured interviews, 12 psychotherapists who work with victims of political violence and kidnapping were interviewed about their perceptions of their clients' overcoming of adversity. A phenomenological analysis of the transcripts was used to describe the themes that speak about the effects of witnessing how clients cope constructively with adversity. These themes are discussed to advance the concept of vicarious resilience and how it can contribute to sustaining and empowering trauma therapists.

Resilience among doctors who work in challenging areas: a qualitative study

“…Preliminary work suggests that some doctors may experience 'vicarious resilience' through working with traumatised patients who embody everyday survival. 25 The literature on vicarious resilience is poorly developed and, like the more extensive literature on vicarious traumatisation, is hampered by the absence of a robust research base. 26 However, determinants of vicarious traumatisation appear to be multifactorial , and include both attitudinal and contextual matters.…”

Resilience in Child Welfare: A Social Work Perspective

“…It is a concept that requires a deeper understanding of resilience within the context of shared emotional experience. CPWs spoke about how they had been inspired and strengthened by their client's way of coping with adversity, and throughout the study it became obvious that this effect could be reinforced by consciously attending to it (Hernandez et al, 2007). The point was made in the study by a number of CPWs that nurturing resilience in children required CPWs to be resilient themselves so that a parallel process could be enacted thereby enabling the CPW to be more protective of the resilience of their clients.…”

“…Hernandez, Engstrom, and Gangsei (2010) explored the idea of reciprocity in therapeutic relationships and described how witnessing clients overcoming adversity can change a therapist's "attitudes, emotions and behavior in ways that the authors conceptualized as manifesting vicarious resilience" (p. 72). Hence, the concept of vicarious resilience offers a unique perspective on how resilience in practitioners who are working daily with traumatized clients can be developed by proxy, through participation in the lives of resilient survivors of trauma and abuse (Hernandez, Gangsei, & Engstrom, 2007;Alvarez & Hurley, 2010).…”

vécu professionnel des intervenants de la relation d'aide :

“…Les écrits scientifiques portant sur ce sujet définissent le traumatisme vicariant comme étant un processus par lequel l'expérience intérieure d'une personne est modifiée de façon négative suite à un engagement empathique avec un individu présentant un traumatisme, .soit par le transfert du traumatisme du client à l'intervenant (Cunningham, 1999;Dane, 2002;Figley, 2002b;McCann & Pearlman, 1990;Nelson-Gardell & Harris, 2003;Pearlman & Maclan, 1995;Sabin-Farrell & Turpin, 2003). Les symptômes associés au TV sont similaires à ceux du trouble de stress post-traumatique (TSPT), soit des symptômes neurovégétatifs ou encore d'intrusion et d'évitement (Bell et al, 2003;Brady, Poelstra & Brokaw, 1999;Dunkley & Whelan, 2006a, b;Hernandez, Gangsei & Engstrom, 2007;Killian, 2008; McSwain, Robinson & Panteluk, 1998;Moulden & Firestone, 2007;Salston & Figley, 2003;Tabor, 2011;VanDeusen & Way, 2006). Selon Richardson (2001), l'on peut parler de traumatisme vicariant lorsque l'intervenant n'a pas vécu le traumatisme, mais qu'il en ressent les séquelles suite aux récits traumatisants qui lui sont racontés.…”

“…D'ailleurs, les membres de l'entourage, comme la famille, les amis et les collègues, ainsi que l'organisation dans le milieu de travail peuvent aussi être affectés négativement par la présence de la fatigue de compassion (FC) ou du traumatisme vicariant (TV) chez un intervenant (AOcVF, 2007;Kahn, 2003;Perreault, 2004;Richardson, 2001;Tabor, 2011 (Brady, Guy, Poelstra & Brokaw, 1999;Cunningham, 2003;Johnson & Hunter, 1997;Regehr & Cadell, 1999;Schauben & Frazier, 1995), e) les travailleurs des services de protection de la jeunesse (Allen, 2010;Bride, Jones & MacMaster, 2007;Cornille & Meyers, 1999), f) les intervenants de centre d'appels téléphoniques (Dunkley & Whelan, 2006a) et g) les thérapeutes travaillant avec les personnes victimes de traumatismes (Bourassa, 2009;Chrestman, 1995;Craig & Sprang, 2009;Doman, 2010; Follette et al, 1994;Gentry, 2002; KassamAdams, 1995;Pearlman & Mac Ian, 1995;Shalvi, Shenkman, Handgraaf & Dreu, 2011 (Cunningham, 1999;Dane, 2002;Figley, 2002b;McCann & Pearlman, 1990;Nelson-Gardell & Harris, 2003; Pearlman & Maclan, 1995;Sabin-Farrell & Turpin, 2003). Les symptômes associés au TV sont similaires à ceux du trouble de stress post-traumatique (TSPT), soit des symptômes neurovégétatifs ou encore d'intrusion et d'évitement (Bell et al, 2003;Brady, Poelstra & Brokaw, 1999; Dunkley & Whelan, 2006a, b;Hernandez, Gangsei & Engstrom, 2007;Killian, 2008;McSwain, Robinson & Panteluk, 1998;Moulden & Firestone, 2007;…”