This study investigated the impact of a psychoeducational and experiential structured counselor self-care curriculum, developed by Drs. Charles and Kathleen Figley, on compassion fatigue and the prevention of professional impairment as measured by the Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL), Version 5. Volunteer licensed professional counselors, supervisors, and interns from four children's advocacy centers in Texas were assigned to treatment group (n = 21; 20 females, 1 male; mean age 34.4 years) or waitlist control group (n = 21; 19 females, 2 males; mean age 34.6 years). Participating counselors identified themselves ethnically as 64% Caucasian, 26% Hispanic, 7% African-American, and 2% Native-American. Employing a quasi-experimental design, three reliability-corrected analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were utilized to analyze the data with an alpha level of .05 to assess statistical significance and partial eta squared to assess effect size. With pre-test scores as the covariate, results revealed in the experimental group a statistically significant reduction with large treatment effect for burnout (p = .01; partial ?2 = .15), a statistically nonsignificant reduction with a medium effect for secondary traumatic stress (p = .18; partial ?2 = .05), and a statistically nonsignificant increase with a medium effect for compassion satisfaction (p = .06; partial ?2= .09). Findings supported the use of this curriculum to train counselors on self-care as required of professional counselors by the American Counseling Association code of ethics and listed as a necessary skill in the standards of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs.

This study investigated how therapists working with children and youth victims of interpersonal trauma (e.g. sexual abuse) are impacted by the resilience processes of their clients. Qualitative multiple case study design and thematic analysis were used to explore the research question. Four counselors working in an organization providing services to victims of trauma were interviewed and asked about how the act of bearing witness to the resilience of their clients affected their personal lives and clinical practice. The findings showed that for the participants there was an increased sense of hope and optimism, and an intense sense of being inspired by the strengths of clients as result of working with this population. To reflect about the challenges faced by clients allowed counselors to put their own challenges and strengths into perspective. In addition, they reported positive changes in their personal relationships. Further research is suggested, including further investigation about the relationship between optimism, hope and vicarious resilience processes as well as between the counseling approach adopted and the development of vicarious resilience responses. / Graduate / 0621 / 0622 / 0347 / fabianesilveira@gmail.com