Preventing vicarious trauma in educators

The course aims help teachers define and understand the nature of vicarious trauma (VT), the extent of the problem, and the risk and protective factors involved, as well as provide evidence-based strategies to prevent and respond to VT.

Who is the course designed for

The course has been designed for educators, education support staff, and paraprofessionals who deliver services directly or indirectly to children, adolescents, and teachers in the public, private, and international educational settings. Relevant professionals include teachers/educators, school counselors, adjustment counselors, child-care staff, college counselors, education-related health professionals, educational psychologists, juvenile detention and prison educators, and social workers.

Organizations include private, public and international preschools, middle schools, elementary schools, high-schools, colleges, residential settings, juvenile detention centers, youth prisons, and children’s homes.

Course duration & pace of learning

✓ 8 hours / 8 lessons

✓ Self-paced learning

✓ Recommended over 8 weeks.

Course availability

✓ 12 months

Course certification

✓ Following course completion, click on the link to download your Certificate of Course Completion with the stated number of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours.

Course credits

✓ Completion of this course course provides 8 points towards the purchase of future courses.

Course objectives

  1. To apply a pragmatic definition of VT and the extent of VT in educators
  2. To recognize signs of VT in educators
  3. To discover ways to assess VT in educators
  4. To explore organizational care and self-care strategies to prevent educator VT
  5. To discover how best to respond to VT
  6. To reflect upon providing cultural safety in the prevention, recognition & response to educator VT

Participants will learn self-care strategies & draft a school wide VT prevention & reduction plan. Where this lesson is taken with the lessons on secondary traumatic stress and burnout, students will be able to develop an integrated prevention & reduction plan for secondary traumatic stress, burnout & vicarious trauma.

Academic book and references

Academic books and references are provided to help educators access and explore rigorous research findings.

OpenAI ChatGPT

Students are advised to utilize ChatGPT to ask questions throughout lessons. To ask your questions, open the ChatGPT search page (click on the link).

NB: There is no research evidence to support ChatGPT strategies for individual clients mental health

Photos by Freepik

Course Content

Definition & extent of vicarious trauma in teachers
Signs of vicarious trauma (VT) in teachers
Assessment of vicarious trauma in teachers
Organizational care to prevent VT in teachers
Self-care strategies to prevent VT in teachers
How best to respond if you have VT?
Whole school vicarious trauma prevention plan
Final Quiz
Course evaluation