Responding to Primary and Secondary Trauma

Course Code

COUN 4000

Academic Year

2016-2017

In this course, participants will learn how the brain and nervous system respond to traumatic events, including residual effects of trauma on children, and the secondary effects, known, depending upon level of severity, as compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma, and secondary traumatic stress, on the professionals who work with them. The impact of trauma on children who are survivors of war, dislocation, torture, natural disasters, terror attacks, or domestic violence will be discussed. Participants will also have the opportunity to critically evaluate current research related to the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder and other residual effects of early trauma, as well as how to respond to compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma, burnout and secondary traumatic stress in professionals indirectly affected by work with childhood trauma survivors.