Self-Care & Mentor Wellness Flashcards

Vicarious trauma occurs when a recovery mentor:

Answer: Experiences traumatic stress symptoms as a result of repeated exposure to clients' traumatic experiences

Vicarious trauma refers to the cumulative transformation in a helper's inner world that results from empathically engaging with traumatized clients over time.

The concept of 'professional distance' in peer recovery support means:

Answer: Maintaining appropriate emotional and role boundaries while remaining genuinely empathetic

Professional distance means maintaining clear role boundaries without becoming cold or detached — staying empathetic while protecting both parties from unhealthy dynamics.

A CRM who feels personally triggered after a session with a client should first:

Answer: Seek supervision, peer support, or their own counselor to address the personal reaction

When triggered, mentors should process their reactions through appropriate channels — supervision or personal support — not with the client.

Regular clinical supervision for a CRM is important because it:

Answer: Provides guidance, accountability, and a space to process challenging client interactions

Supervision gives mentors a structured space to reflect on their work, process difficult cases, and receive professional guidance to improve practice.

Which of the following is an appropriate boundary in a CRM-client relationship?

Answer: Maintaining a therapeutic relationship limited to recovery-related support

A CRM relationship must remain focused on recovery support; financial involvement, social mixing, or unauthorized disclosure all violate professional boundaries.

Physical self-care — such as adequate sleep, nutrition, and exercise — is relevant to CRM wellness because:

Answer: Physical health directly supports the emotional resilience needed to sustain effective mentorship

Physical wellbeing is foundational to emotional resilience; neglecting physical health undermines a mentor's capacity to be present and effective.