Supporting the Supporter: Exploring Well-Being in the Face of Vicarious Trauma

Helping professionals working with clients who have lived through trauma often carry with them a risk of vicarious traumatization (VT) as well as the potential for vicarious posttraumatic growth (VPTG). The vicarious impacts of trauma have been explored among diverse helping practitioners but VPTG studies among refugee workers has been scarce. This thematic narrative study explored how service providers are personally thriving because of working with refugees. Six helpers and the researcher co-constructed narratives about how their work with refugee trauma survivors has cultivated personal growth and well-being. Qualitative results showed that VPTG as an alternative narrative to VT was personally empowering for refugee workers in the face of refugee clients’ trauma. Results further revealed that mutual relationships and allyship color sustainable growth at the heart of VPTG. These findings on refugee workers in Canada have important implications for service providers’ well-being, service quality, policy, and refugee clients’ health.