Secondary Traumatic Stress & Self-Care for Practitioners Flashcards
6 cards from real CDT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Secondary Traumatic Stress & Self-Care for Practitioners flashcards as text
What distinguishes secondary traumatic stress (STS) from burnout in CDT practitioners?
Answer: STS arises from indirect exposure to client trauma content and mirrors trauma symptoms, while burnout stems from cumulative work-related exhaustion
STS is triggered by exposure to client traumatic material and produces PTSD-like symptoms, whereas burnout is a gradual exhaustion from chronic workplace stress without the trauma exposure component.
Which of the following is a recognized symptom of secondary traumatic stress in disability trauma practitioners?
Answer: Intrusive thoughts about client trauma stories
Intrusive imagery or thoughts about client trauma content is a hallmark symptom of STS, analogous to the re-experiencing symptoms of PTSD.
What is compassion fatigue and how does it relate to CDT practice?
Answer: A state of emotional and physical exhaustion from the cost of caring, reducing a practitioner's capacity for empathy over time
Compassion fatigue describes the depletion of empathic energy from sustained caregiving, which can diminish the quality and safety of services provided to clients with disabilities.
What organizational factor most significantly increases CDT practitioners' risk for secondary traumatic stress?
Answer: High caseloads with inadequate supervision and support
Large caseloads combined with insufficient clinical supervision create conditions where practitioners are most vulnerable to STS without adequate processing or support.
Which self-care strategy has the strongest evidence for preventing STS in trauma practitioners?
Answer: Regular clinical supervision and peer consultation
Clinical supervision provides a structured space to process vicarious trauma exposure, identify STS symptoms early, and maintain practitioner functioning.
What does 'post-traumatic growth' mean for CDT practitioners who have experienced STS?
Answer: Positive psychological transformation that can emerge from navigating and integrating traumatic experiences
Post-traumatic growth — identified by Tedeschi and Calhoun — describes positive personal development that can paradoxically emerge from struggling with significant adversity.