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Vicarious trauma in social work: recognising it and what helps

Vicarious trauma is the gradual change in how we see ourselves and the world that can build up when we work closely with people who have experienced trauma. For social workers, it's a known risk of caring about the people we support. Recognising it early helps us protect our wellbeing and the quality of our practice.

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What is vicarious trauma?

The term was first used by psychologists Irene Lisa McCann and Laurie Anne Pearlman in 1990. They described how professionals who engage empathically with people's trauma, again and again, can be changed by it over time.

In social work, that exposure is part of the job. We read chronologies and case histories. We sit with children and parents as they describe what happened to them. We visit homes where harm has taken place. Each piece on its own may feel manageable, but it adds up.

Vicarious trauma is a sign that we've been open to other people's pain. It says nothing about how capable or resilient we are. As Sam Waterhouse wrote in Professional Social Work, many of us believe we're unaffected, until our body tells us otherwise.

Vicarious trauma, secondary traumatic stress, compassion fatigue and burnout

These terms are often used interchangeably, and they do overlap. Knowing the differences can help you work out what you're experiencing and what might help.

Vicarious traumaWhat it isA gradual shift in beliefs about safety, trust and the world, built up through repeated empathic engagement with people's traumaWhat sets it apartChanges how we see the world, and develops over time
Secondary traumatic stressWhat it isSymptoms similar to post-traumatic stress, such as intrusive images, avoidance or feeling on high alert, after hearing about or witnessing another person's traumaWhat sets it apartCan come on suddenly, sometimes after a single case
Compassion fatigueWhat it isEmotional and physical exhaustion that reduces our capacity to care and empathiseWhat sets it apartOften used as an umbrella term for the cost of caring
BurnoutWhat it isA syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed, recognised by the World Health OrganizationWhat sets it apartLinked to working conditions in general, and can happen without any contact with trauma

Many social workers experience more than one of these at the same time. Burnout and vicarious trauma in particular often travel together.

Read more in my guide to burnout in social work.

Signs of vicarious trauma in social workers

Vicarious trauma tends to creep in slowly, which is why it's easy to miss. These are some of the signs practitioners commonly describe.

In your body

  • Tiredness that a night's sleep or a weekend doesn't fix
  • Tension, headaches or a racing heart before certain visits
  • Being easily startled, or finding it hard to switch off at night

In your thoughts

  • Images or details from cases coming back when you don't want them to
  • Seeing danger everywhere, or feeling the world is less safe than it used to be
  • Finding it harder to trust people, including those close to you

At work

  • Dreading particular visits, calls or cases, or putting them off
  • Feeling numb, detached or more cynical than you used to be
  • Finding it harder to stay curious, or to think clearly about risk

At home

  • Carrying cases home in your head
  • Feeling irritable, withdrawn or short with the people you love
  • Becoming more anxious or protective about your own children's safety

Noticing one or two of these from time to time is a normal part of the work. It's worth paying attention when several build up, or when they start to affect your sleep, your relationships or how you practise.

Why social workers are at risk

Social work combines repeated exposure to trauma with responsibility for people's safety, often with little time to process one case before the next. Organisational pressures such as high caseloads, staff shortages and tight deadlines make it harder still. Practitioners with their own experience of trauma may also feel the impact more strongly, especially when a case echoes something personal. Safeguarding work is especially demanding, because it combines detailed exposure to harm with responsibility for keeping people safe.

When our nervous system stays in threat mode for long periods, it affects more than our wellbeing. It becomes harder to hold more than one explanation in mind, stay curious with families and make sound decisions. You can read more about this in my guide to nervous system regulation for social workers.

What helps: for practitioners

Notice it early

Build in a short check-in at the end of each week. How am I sleeping? Which cases are staying with me? What has changed in how I see things? Small changes are easier to address than a crisis.

Regulate in the moment

Body-based tools can help settle the stress response when a case is still sitting in your body, for example in the car after a visit. A long breath out, grounding through your feet or a round of EFT tapping can all help. My nervous system regulation guide includes a two-minute practice.

Create a clear end to the working day

A small ritual can help your body know the work is done: a few minutes in the car before you drive home, a short walk or changing your clothes. I've written more about this in how to stop bringing work home.

Use supervision for the impact on you

Good supervision makes space for how the work is affecting you, as well as the case itself. If that space is missing, it's reasonable to ask for it.

Lean on peers

Talking with colleagues who understand the work can ease the sense of carrying it alone. Peer supervision, a debrief after a hard visit or a walk with a trusted colleague all count.

Know when to get more support

If the signs are building up or affecting your daily life, speak to your GP, your employee assistance programme or a qualified therapist. If you're feeling overwhelmed and need to talk to someone now, Samaritans are available day and night on 116 123.

What helps: for teams and organisations

Vicarious trauma is a predictable risk of social work, so the response needs to sit with organisations as well as individuals.

  • Name vicarious trauma openly in induction, supervision and team meetings, so practitioners know it's expected and safe to talk about.
  • Offer a debrief after serious incidents and particularly distressing cases.
  • Make space for reflective group supervision, where the emotional impact of cases is part of the discussion.
  • Think about how the most distressing cases are shared across the team.
  • Build simple regulation practices into team life, such as a few minutes at the start of supervision or a team meeting.

There's also a legal side. In the UK, the Health and Safety Executive states that employers have a legal duty to protect employees from stress at work by doing a risk assessment and acting on it. Its Management Standards cover areas such as demands, support and relationships, all of which shape how vicarious trauma is experienced in a team.

Where EFT tapping fits

EFT tapping (Emotional Freedom Techniques) is a body-based self-regulation tool. You tap lightly on points on the face and body while naming what you feel. It can help settle the stress response in the moment, which is often when vicarious trauma is felt most: in the car after a visit, or at night when a case won't leave you.

Research on EFT has found reductions in anxiety and PTSD symptoms, although there's little research yet looking specifically at vicarious trauma in social workers. I see EFT tapping as one useful tool alongside good supervision, peer support and professional help when it's needed.

Vicarious resilience

Working with trauma can also change us in positive ways. Researchers describe this as vicarious resilience: being strengthened by witnessing how the people we work with survive, adapt and recover. Many social workers recognise this too. Paying attention to these moments can help balance the weight of the work.

Read more in my guide to building emotional resilience in social work.

Frequently asked questions

What is vicarious trauma in social work?

Vicarious trauma is the gradual change in how social workers see themselves and the world that can come from repeated, empathic engagement with people's trauma. It's a known occupational risk of social work.

What's the difference between vicarious trauma and burnout?

Burnout comes from chronic workplace stress that hasn't been managed, and can happen in any job. Vicarious trauma comes specifically from exposure to other people's trauma, and changes how we see safety and trust. The two often happen together.

What are the signs of vicarious trauma?

Common signs include intrusive images from cases, feeling numb or detached, dreading certain visits, difficulty switching off and seeing danger everywhere. Signs often build up slowly, so they can be easy to miss.

Can vicarious trauma affect decision-making?

It can. When the nervous system stays in threat mode, it becomes harder to hold different explanations in mind and stay curious, both of which matter for risk assessment. Regular regulation and good supervision help protect our thinking.

How can social workers cope with vicarious trauma?

Noticing it early, using body-based tools to regulate during the day, creating a clear end to the working day and using supervision to talk about the impact all help. If symptoms are building up, speak to your GP, your employee assistance programme or a qualified therapist.

Related reading

About me

I'm Susana Carr, a qualified social worker with over fifteen years of experience in children's and adults' services. I'm currently the Registered Manager of an Ofsted Outstanding independent fostering agency.

I came across EFT tapping after a traumatic event in my family. It helped ease my symptoms of PTSD while I kept working, and it changed how I think about the impact this work has on all of us. I built MyTappyPlace to give social care practitioners practical tools for carrying that impact.

Vicarious trauma training for your team

I run practical EFT tapping workshops for social work and social care teams, from a 90-minute taster to a full-day programme, with CPD and aftercare included. If vicarious trauma is something your team is carrying, take a look at my workshops for teams.

See workshop options

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