Summary - Personal and Professional Resilience: An Ethical Framework for Vicarious Stress (ME#543/510)

Responses to work-stress for individuals and systems are increasingly framed as an ethical issue, requiring action on the part of clinicians and organizations. In this workshop, we take the mandate a step further. When behavioral health work includes exposure to the trauma of others, it carries unique impact and requires trauma-specific planning to ensure individual and organizational wellbeing. The current reality of trauma-filled caseloads and increased pressure to serve more clients has amplified the stress, as well as the need for us to proactively address our own wellbeing.

This workshop will review the neurobiological impact of secondary and vicarious stress, preview strategies that respond directly to those trauma-specific impact domains and review the ethical frame for both self-care and organizational responses. We will offer a straightforward, proactive plan template to be tailored to individual styles and workplaces that promotes long-term health and posttraumatic growth.

Trauma work is a double- edged sword—both an invitation to know ourselves more deeply and gain wisdom, as well as a serious risk to our physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing if we are not active in our own care. Human beings have neurobiological responses to traumatic stress that are hardwired into our bodies, minds and spirits, whether that stress is directly or indirectly experienced. Reacting to this exposure is not something that we have a choice about—the experience is universal and survival based. It doesn’t happen because we are weak or have had our own trauma, but rather because we are empathic humans. Rather than leaving us victim to our empathic humanity, this creates an opportunity for us to recognize these shared areas of impact and respond in trauma-sensitive ways. Our goal is for participants to enjoy themselves, connect with each other and leave with a personal menu of resilience strategies specifically related to traumatic stress that they can actually implement in their busy lives.

Self-care is not just what we do after work

Self-care is how we do the work itself

At the end of the workshop, participants will be familiar with:

Domains of impact of secondary and vicarious stress.
Evidence-based strategies that address indirect trauma’s unique impact on our body, mind and spirit, including somatic, cognitive and compassion-based models specifically tailored for exposure to indirect stress.
A template for an individualized, integrated personal and professional resilience plan.
Ethical practice guidelines to build systemic resilience for organizations when traumatic stress is present in the workplace.
Resources for further study.

Format: This workshop is offered by Adept in a digital format with handouts and resource links provided on-line. Large group presentation, small workgroup activities, and video will be used.

Participants: This workshop has content relevant for behavioral health professionals who are working with clients who have experienced trauma. Content is also relevant to Maine licensing requirements for ethics education.

What to Expect:

The $15 registration fee includes webinar attendance and 4 hours of continuing education credits that will be emailed within 5 business days of the class.
Classes are kept small to facilitate participation and discussion.
Attendees must have video and audio capability.
Participation and discussion is encouraged.
Please do not drive or ride in a car during this workshop.
Please do not work, multitask, or take phone calls during this webinar.
Be present. Participate
This is a live, online event, held in Zoom Meeting. There will be no recording to view later.

Cancellation Policy:

Refunds are available under the following conditions:

For virtual events, cancellations must be received via email at least 24 hours before the scheduled event.
For in-person events, cancellations must be received via email at least 5 business days prior to the event.

Please note: Starting in 2026, ADEPT will implement a $5 cancellation fee for all cancellations.

Presenter: Julie Colpitts