An Exploration of Counselling Identity in Counsellors Who Deal With Trauma

Abstract

This research explored some of the ways in which counsellors construct their identity when, in the aftermath of a traumatic event, they are exposed to the trauma of their clients. The research investigated the impact of counselling traumatised victims and the possible resulting experience of 'vicarious traumatisation' on the sense of identity on those counsellors using Identity Structure Analysis. Semi-structured informal interviews together with IDEX (Identity Exploration for Windows, V3.0) were used to analyse the issues of the impact of vicarious traumatisation on respondents' interpersonal relationships, the reverberation between previous traumatic experiences on current therapeutic practice, and how the respondents' professional orientation with regard to belief and value systems was influenced upon exposure to the trauma of their clients. The results show that vicarious traumatisation has a marked impact on both empathetic and conflicted identifications, that previous traumatic experiences have both positive and negative influences on current therapeutic practice, and that counsellors are likely to experience shifts in their belief and value systems as a consequence of trauma's after-shocks. The results have implications for the caring professions, counsellors who are involved in trauma work, and managers who have responsibility for the supervision and care of trauma counsellors.