Some days, you leave your office feeling like a ghost of yourself. 

You’ve held space for client after client, absorbed stories of deep pain, made SO MANY clinical decisions—all while holding yourself together.

But when the workday ends and you slam the laptop shut for the day, the work doesn't just disappear.

Every trauma therapist hits a point where they wonder, Can I actually do this work for the long haul? Our work is emotionally intense. It asks a lot of us. And the therapists who make it long-term? They aren’t the ones who just white-knuckle their way through. 

They’re the trauma therapists who figure out how to build a career that actually works for them.

In trauma work, the emotional weight of the job can quickly eclipse the passion that led you to this work. And without the right support, that burden can become overwhelming.

Effective trauma work begins with a foundation of trust and shared support. Discover how the lessons learned from working with diverse trauma teams can transform the way you connect and collaborate with colleagues.

Accessing resilience is necessary for trauma therapists, but it's not something you build alone. When you're part of a supportive team, you're better equipped to face the most difficult parts of your work, especially when you've received resilience-based training. Read more to discover the 3 Cs of resilience training and how they can strengthen your team.

Resilience-based training isn't just another professional development buzzword—it's a necessity. This training equips you with the tools to manage the weight of your work without pushing your humanity aside. From Nicole Lewis-Keeber’s work on trauma-informed leadership to the supportive community within the BRAVE Trauma Therapist Collective, there’s a wealth of resources designed to help you tap into this inner resilience. Read the blog to learn more.

Every day, you witness the sparks of healing in others, yet sometimes the weight of it all can dim your light. Those quiet moments of triumph in a session, where a client’s courage shines through—it’s easy to overlook them when you're lost in the depths of the struggle.

Consider Positive Outcome Mapping, a tool to not only navigate these challenges but to see the beautiful intricacies of your work. This practice lets you pause and see the mosaic of resilience you piece together every day.

As trauma therapists, we often take care of everyone else and forget that we need support too. I’ve been there—burned out and isolated—but finding community has been a game-changer in my career. It’s not about solving every problem, but simply connecting and feeling seen. Learn more about how building community can support your well-being as a trauma therapist.

Ever find yourself inspired by a client's breakthrough, even when the weight of their stories feels overwhelming? For trauma therapists, this dual experience—where the emotional toll of engaging empathically with clients also pays back in unexpected resilience—is known as vicarious resilience.

What if some therapy frameworks we’ve been taught actually reinforce harm, especially for clients from marginalized communities? Many traditional models reflect colonial, Eurocentric values, often leaving clients feeling unseen and isolated. Let’s explore how these frameworks prioritize neutrality, distance, and individualism—creating barriers for marginalized clients—and why embracing humanity and cultural identity is essential for fostering real, transformative change in trauma therapy.

Ever feel like your cup is completely empty as a trauma therapist? You’re not alone. It’s not a sign you care too much—it’s a sign you might not have the support you need to process the emotional weight of this work.

This feeling is called compassion fatigue. It’s an early stage of the Trauma Therapist Trauma Response, falling between vicarious trauma and full burnout. Recognizing it is the first step toward staying grounded, supported, and effective in the work you do.

Ethical boundaries in therapy often feel like tightropes, don’t they? Early in my career, I was second-guessing every move like I was about to step over the edge of a cliff! But what if we shift our perspective? Our ethical codes aren’t prisons; they’re the scaffolding of confidence and freedom in our work.

Trying to fit into the mold of the "blank slate" therapist model can feel like you're on a tightrope, balancing your authenticity against a fear of overstepping. Remember those moments during your practicum, striving for that perfect neutrality and feeling more like an imposter with every step? Those experiences are more common than we'd like to admit.

Being a trauma therapist is a complicated business -  we love the work we do and know that it can be heavy. We know we're "supposed to" take care of things like vicarious trauma—after all, we're the experts. But knowing isn't the same as doing, which is often at the heart of this challenge.

As the new year begins, many of us, especially trauma therapists, are already thinking about how to juggle all the things. Instead of diving into a long list of resolutions (which often fizzle out by February), let me introduce you to a practice that has transformed the way I approach the year: finding your Word of the Year.

Trauma treatment is complicated. Just like there are lots of different therapeutic angles to come from there are also a zillion ways that prescribers attack Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) with medications. But how do you know if your client’s regimen is a solid one? Could it be causing more harm than good?