CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION
By: Leslie Fischman The theory of emotion is very complex and when applied to the experiences of hotline counselors and therapists, it became increasingly evident that the experience of vicarious trauma is equally as complex as it is to describe the causes for it. What we do know is that losing control over our emotions has a deep impact on our ability to make sense of the reality of a situation. Our perceptions become distorted when we allow our emotions to take control. Counselors and therapists can thus become powerless when they allow the experiences of others to affect their own concept of reality. In order to enable caregivers to better serve victims, this phenomena must be studied. What makes the concept of vicarious trauma so interesting and yet so difficult to understand is that its definition is based on emotions which are intangible and often difficult to describe. However, at the same time by expanding our definition of trauma it may in turn lessen the focus on the uniqueness of this experience when it is applied to counselors and therapist working with individuals in crisis situations. On the other hand, expanding our definition can help all individuals understand how they may be impacted in negative ways and vicariously traumatized by situations that mirror the emotional intensity of client/therapist and counselor/client relationships. Future research is needed that includes a greater diversity of viewpoints and experiences of trauma and vicarious trauma, to help counselors and therapist develop a more acute sense of what they are experiencing and know when they are experiencing symptoms vicarious trauma. Which is why my research provides a broader understanding of how and why hotline counselors and professional therapist experience vicarious trauma. The purpose of this study is to provide evidence showing that counselors do experience stress and symptoms of vicarious trauma while helping survivors. However, even when their sense of control is lost, counselors and therapists have various ways to cope with stress. In addition to in-group support systems, they get support from those outside the organization, such as family and friends. Such support is just as effective in helping counselors cope with negative emotions, and having the support of those closest to them helps caregivers establish a more concrete belief in themselves. This in turn empowers them to recognize their capacity to regain control over their emotions and their sense of self. This high level of support encourages introspection and allows counselors and therapists to recognize and learn from their mistakes, thus improving future care. Experience, training, and education are the keys to unlocking our capacity to manage our emotions and gain awareness of imbalances within ourselves. Without such awareness, counselors and therapists have a high potential for vicarious trauma and burn-out. This inner sense of confidence is reinforced by support received from members within the organization, as well as support systems outside of work, such as family, friends, and individual therapy and counseling services. The amount of positive reinforcement received influences perceived levels of control over emotions, as well as perceptions of level of success and competence. When caregivers feel powerless in the face of societal judgments, stereotypes, and negative feedback, their sense of vulnerability intensifies and the likelihood of developing “malapadative schemas” (Bennet-Goleman 2001:10) that undermine the potential for success increases. Counselors and therapist become less effective when they interpret the negative emotions they feel as one reason to justify their incompetence and inability to successfully manage the emotions of their clients. When counselors begin to doubt themselves and their ability to help themselves, they begin doubt their potential to help others cope. As a result, counselor’s tend to internalize the pain of others instead of focusing on moving past that pain and helping others to do the same. Counselors enter a stuck state when they fail to see signs of positive change within themselves while helping others. Eventually, emotions that are not dealt with cause the counselor and therapist to lose hope, even when support systems are made available to them to help them find a healthy balance. In order to help heal the trauma of the survivors’ experience, counselors must accept the emotional obstacles they encounter as simply stepping stones they must make along the path toward influencing positive change and helping others. However when the therapist’s and counselor’s do not practice self-care on an on going basis to manage their emotions, their viewpoint of others become as fixed and unchanging as they perceive their own capacity for enacting change. Counselors who do not practice self-care on an on-going basis are oblivious to the potential consequence of weakening their ability to maintain control over how they feel. The most difficult periods a counselor encounters when dealing with unwanted and disturbing emotions marks the most significant point in a counselor’s growth. The point at which counselors face the greatest difficulty occurs when the strategies they use to manage their emotions become ineffective and they are forced to find new ways of coping in order maintain an emotional equilibrium. Those who possess the greatest potential for successfully helping themselves manage their emotions are those who can find the strength to move past these transitions. Those who are able to regain control over their emotions, show a willingness to be challenged and learn from their past failures. Counselor’s find strength from the negative experiences they have, once they are able to gain control over the way they feel and how they react. As counselors and therapists become more emotionally resilient to their exposure to trauma they in turn become more effective in helping others and less affected by the experiences they share. Understanding the underlying causes for counselors and therapists experiencing vicarious trauma may ultimately prevent them from disassociating the systems of support that can help them deal with unwanted feelings. Hopefully future research will reveal why counselors and therapist do not go to others for support and why they allow their feelings to isolate them and cause them to disassociate from their role as therapist or counselor. The foundation from which support systems are built, determines how well they function and how useful these systems of support can be to the individuals within them. Those in charge of building peer-networks can learn from what has worked in the past and been most helpful to committed volunteers and staff memebers. Feedback from current members is needed to improve upon existing peer networks and the types of organizational support provided, so that organizations can sustain each member’s level of commitment. Not only must counselors and therapist have access to and attend group support meetings, more attention needs to be paid to how well they participate and involve themselves within the organization. How well support groups function within organizations determines how affective these associations and the degree to which emotional connections are developed between individuals in need of each other’s support. While at the same time understanding how affective connections made between members in support networks foster the counselor and therapist’s personal growth. All of which determines how they come to understand themselves emotionally so that they can be more grounded and better prepared for their role in helping others. Researchers studying the effects of vicarious trauma in helping professions are further along in understanding how people are affected by problems in society, and the impact that exposure to traumatic events and experiences can have on an individual’s sense of self. Being aware of triggers and how to cope with stress are key to accepting and moving past the experiences in life that we have no control over. Therefore hotline counselors and professional therapists who educate themselves on an on-going basis about how they are affected are better prepared for when they are exposed to the real-life trauma experienced by victims of sexual assault. The skills they learn as hotline counselors, professional therapists and victim advocates benefit them in all aspects of their lives. This study raises important questions for future research. One factor inhibiting the progress researchers are able to make is globalization. The constant mixing of people means societal problems are arising at a faster rate than individuals can adjust to them or know how to respond to them. Society generally progresses in this way: problems occur first and then strategies to alleviate symptoms of those problems are created. On the flip side, the speed at which media and technology can transmit ideas benefits researchers. Access to resources is improved and the speed of data gathering is also increased. Mass media and ready access to television, websites, and print media has also allowed broad dissemination of trauma stories. Such media can be personally damaging to those who are directly affected by similar trauma. Producers of such messages have a responsibility to take all individuals into account and show awareness of those who may be harmed by media intended to entertain. In particular, negative stereotypes and myths about sexual assault victims reinforce societal ignorance. This can lead to placing blame on others and seeing sexual assault as an individual problem. In many ways it is easier for people cope with social problems by staying narrow-minded. Ignorant people such as these are limited in terms of their understanding of social problems because they reduce problems that do not affect them to something that is wrong with the individual, rather than seeing how they in turn reinforce social stigmas that further marginalize the individual’s experience. Current research has identified the problem of vicarious trauma, when it arises and how it affects counselors and therapists working with victims of trauma. Future research needs to focus on what can be done to help individuals through the process of healing and recovering from their experience of compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma. Specifically strategies should be identified which help the helper move past the negative feelings and emotions that arise from their role as a victim advocate. Therefore, the purposes of this study is to provide sufficient evidence to conclude that counselors do experience stress and symptoms of vicarious trauma while helping survivors cope. However, even when their sense of control is lost, counselors and therapist learn how to cope by utilizing organizational support systems for assistance and help gain a sense of control when they are emotionally disturbed by stories of trauma. In addition to organizational support systems, getting support from those outside the organization, such as family and friends proved to be just as effective in helping counselors cope with negative emotions. While at the same time having the support of those closest to them helped them to establish a more concrete belief within themselves, empowering them in ways to help them recognize their capacity to regain control over their emotions and their sense of self. Part of their growth, requires them to make mistakes and learn from them, by accepting the imperfections of the way they perform their role as imperfect as the world around them which too is continually evolving and changing. Therefore as they grow and change, so does the culture around them, and so will the methods they apply to coping with these changes occurring outside and within themselves. Experience, training, and education are key to unlocking our capacity to manage our emotions and diminish potential that counselors and therapists do not experience vicarious trauma and the resulting burnout. The counselor and therapist’s sense of confidence is reinforced by the support we receive from members within the organization, as well as the support systems we have access to outside of the organization. The amount of positive reinforcements we receive influences the level of control we believe we have over our emotions, and determines our perceived level of success and competence in our role. When we feel powerless to societal judgments, stereotypes, and negative feedback, our vulnerability intensifies and the likelihood of developing “malapadative schemas” (Bennet-Goleman 2001:10) that undermine hotline volunteers’ potential for success and can negatively alter the way we see ourselves. Current research on hotline counselors and therapists identify the patterns of feeling and emotion that are directly and indirectly related to how we are socialized in our environments. Researchers studying the effects of vicarious trauma in helping professions are further along in comparison to the rest of society’s understanding of how they are really affected by problems in society, and the impact that exposure to traumatic events and experiences can have on their sense of self. Being aware of our triggers and how we cope is key to accepting and moving past the experiences in life which we have no control over. Therefore hotline counselors and professional therapist who educate themselves, on an on-going basis about how they are affected, will in turn better prepare them for when they do expose themselves to the real-life trauma experienced by victims of sexual assault. The skills they learn throughout their experiences as hotline counselors and professional therapists and victim advocates, to cope with another’s trauma, will benefit them in all aspects of their lives as well as throughout their career. This study raises important questions for future research. Our world is rapidly changing and social problems are becoming visible at a faster rate and individuals and organizations are finding it difficult to keep up. Society generally progresses in this way, problems occur first and then strategies for dealing with these problems are developed. However, the speed at which media and technology are able to transmit ideas can also benefit researchers in their ability to access resources. By speeding up the data gathering process so that they can begin analyzing a more diverse number of sources needed to develop potential solutions to these problems. In addition, future research needs to analyze the harm caused by rapid mass distribution. When ideas that contain very little evidence to develop concrete conclusions needed to establish truth, than our perception of what accounts for socials problems can be skewed by inadequate qualitative and quantitative research methods. Learning to manage our emotions is one step toward preventing the occurrence of vicarious trauma, but emotion management strategies alone are not enough to help heal the wounds of trauma. Although training prepares the counselor and therapist for their role, it does not adequately prepare them for dealing with negative emotions when they arise and many counselors and therapist find that it is only through their experiences while performing their role that they come to really understand how they are impacted and what kinds of support they come to need. Managing trauma require a much deeper assessment of our individual capacity to heal, as well as the kinds of support we have access to help guide us through the process of moving past the pain and trauma. Studies that focus solely on emotion management do not encompass all the factors that contribute to an individuals experiences, which is why I have incorporated other studies on the ways emotions are transmitted between individuals and what research exists out there that discusses a variety of methods on dealing with vicarious trauma and understanding its effects. Many studies have been done on professions in which emotional labor does not fit within their primary job description, however requires the professional to do a substantial degree of it that it affects their work productivity and their workplace environment. As research begins to study how therapists and counselors experience vicarious trauma, will provide organizations with the information they need to improve volunteer commitment. Not enough attention has been paid to the counselors and therapists experience of vicarious trauma, because it is assumed that it is their job to be empathetic, to feel the emotions of others and therefore choice they made to get involved in a helping profession and therefore not a social problem. Organizational change is slow in part due to diminishing funding from donors and governmental sources. As a result, staff members are underpaid, and organizations lack adequate resources to address existing problems within organizations. Government funding limits the extent of how non-profits can use the money received. Therefore increased funding and organizational support can help reduce the prevalence of vicarious trauma among hotline counselors and therapist working with victims of sexual assault. Current research has identified the problem, how it arises and how it affects counselors and therapists working with victims of trauma. However future research needs to revert its focus from figuring out how many people it affects, to developing strategies that counselors and therapist can use to manage the effects of vicarious trauma and prevent themselves from experiencing it. I hope that this research provides some insight into the experience and feeling of pain in the presence of another who is currently suffering as a natural response of those who have empathy for others (Rothschild 2006:28). After having done the readings of existing studies about vicarious trauma, I have concluded that more research needs to be done that focuses on what can be done to help individuals through the process of healing and recovering from the experience of vicarious trauma. I hope that my research has helped to establish a better understanding of what strategies are needed to help the helper move past negative emotions and find strength throughout their experiences, whether positive or negative, so that they can help others similar to themselves, overcome symptoms of vicarious trauma.
0 Comments
Leslie Fischman
SOCY 3401 Focal Topic Assignment March 14, 2006 Developing a Theoretical Analysis of Emotion Management Strategies Part of developing a theoretical analysis, involves understanding the purpose and power of emotion management strategies in crisis situations. By examining related articles, I plan to illustrate the ways in which emotion management strategies are used in crisis situations to help the volunteers cope with mentally and emotionally stressful experiences. Part of my objective analysis includes exploring how the use of emotion management strategies can be considered a learned phenomena. Whereby the volunteer’s ability to effectively perform their roles and obligations to the organization relies on their “dramaturgical control of (their) feelings” (Lofland, et. Al, 2006) through “emotional labor” (Hochschild, 1983). In my research thus far I have found similarities between the emotion management strategies used by “search and rescue group” (Lois, J., 2001) in comparison to rape crisis hotline counselors. Both illustrate the ways in which “strangers support people in crisis” (Lois, J., 2001), by establishing and developing an emotional bond with the survivor. The process of “exchanging emotions” (Lois, J., 2001) plays a fundamental role in developing a heart connection between counselors and survivor’s of sexual assault. Through the process as “socioemotional economy” (Lois, J., 2001) counselors are able to create a safe and open environment in which callers may feel comfortable expressing themselves. Exchange of emotions is not only an important aspect of counselor-caller interactions, but is also illustrated during counselor-counselor interactions with one another. Through the exchange of emotion, counselors are offered reassurance and support from group members who can understand and relate to their experiences. Thus, the reflexive nature of exchanging emotions empowers not only the counselor, but can also be used as a method of empowering the survivor. The learning and use of emotion management strategies begins during counselor training. During this period of training, counselors begin to learn the difference between “what I do feel” versus “what I should feel” (Hochschild, 2003) in response to the caller’s traumatic experience. The intensive 40 hour training is essential to understanding and exploring the use of emotion management strategies and “how others assess our emotional display” (Hochschild, 2003). Experienced member on the team create safe environment during training where they can teach “feeling rules” (Hochschild, 2003) about how to respond and react, while at the same time provide constant “rule reminders” (Hochschild, 2003) where improvement is needed. During the process of “getting in and gaining the acceptance” (Lofland et. Al, 2006) new members rely heavily on experienced members for support and growth into their role as a counselor. One of the main objectives of training emphasizes the counselors development of a heart connection with the caller. In order to begin managing another’s emotions, it is crucial to create a safe and supportive space in which they feel comfortable exploring those emotions with the counselor. As an organization, their goal is not to fix the caller’s problems, but rather to help guide them through the process of healing. In a way counselors create “a sense of mutual obligation” (Kemper and Reid, 1997, 60) by making themselves emotionally “accessible to others” (Goffman, 1963a, 105). The most powerful way in which a counselor can show their emotional accessibility to others, is through active listening. Active listening is a powerful tool in which counselors can help to empower the survivor by allowing them to tell their story, hearing their emotions, normalizing their feelings, and by showing empathy and understanding. Helping another to explore their emotions can be emotionally draining to the counselor who is helping to manage their emotions. Part of the role as a hotline counselor is not only to manage the emotions of the caller, but to also manage one’s own emotions during the call. What enables a counselor to develop these skill are extensive group support systems within the organization, called Supergroups. In my paper I hope to explore the significance of emotional bonds formed among members on the hotline, and how they create a safe and supportive environment in which to explore their feelings about the callers. Supergroup meeting illustrate “how the emotions generated within some support groups are used as resources to sustain commitment to the group” (Lofland et. Al, 2006). Supergroup meetings provide constant affirmation to counselors of their importance as a member and provide them with positive reinforcement that inspires them to keep doing the work that they do. I will also explore the many “unintended phenomena” (Lofland et. Al, 2006) that result from the establishment of interpersonal emotional bonds between members on the team. Particularly how emotion work learned and used within the organization are mirrored in the ways in which counselors deal with family members and friends outside the organization. The use of emotion management strategies has a significant impact on the ways in which counselors interact with members outside the organization. Part of these changes can be attributed to the development of a more compassionate, understanding, empathetic self. Counselors help one another to “identify, analyze, express, and transform” (Lois, J., 2001) their emotions. As a result counselors develop a new sense of self by recognizing our ability to not only manage others emotions but to simultaneously have control over balancing our own emotions in the process. It is the safety of the environment created within the organization that enables counselors to regulate their emotions. Counselors feel free to express a range of emotions without being judged, because they are surrounded by counselors who have been there and who know that feeling. The central focus of my research explore the emotional growth counselors go through in the process of becoming emotion management guides to help others explore their emotions. One of my goals is to illustrate how emotional bonds are formed between counselors by sharing their feelings with one another. While at the same time, I plan to illustrate how “interpersonal emotion management” (Hochschild, 2003) skills learned through interaction among counselors strengthens the counselors ability to manage the caller’s emotions. In order to understand the significance of micromanaging emotions between counselors one must recognize the structural components of the organization which are essentially “based on this ongoing exchange of emotions” (Lois, J., 2001) between counselors, and between counselors and callers. References: Cahill, Spencer E. 2004. “Managing Emotions in an Animal Shelter.” Pp. 345-359 in Inside Social Life: Readings in Sociological Psychology and Microsociology, edited by Dawn VanDercreek and Abe Hendin. Los Angeles, CA: Roxbury Publishing Company. Hochschild, A. R., (1979). Emotion work, feeling rules, and social structure. American Journal of Sociology, 83, 551-575. Hochschild, A.R., (1983,2003). Feeling Rules. The Managed Heart: Commercialization of human feeling. (56-75). Berkeley: University of California Press. Jones, Lynn Cerys. 1997. “Both Friend and Stranger: How Crisis Volunteers Build and Manage Unpersonal Relationships with Clients.” Social Perspectives on Emotion 4: 125- 148. Lofland, et., Al. (2006). Asking Questions. In C. Caldeira (Ed.), E. Smith (Ed.), J. Walsh (Eds.), Analyzing Social Settings: A Guide to Qualitative Observation and Analysis (144- 167). California: Thomson Wadsworth. Lois, J. (2001). Managing Emotions, Intimacy, and Relationships in a Volunteer Search and Rescue Group. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 30, 131-179. Sewell, Graham. 2001. “What Goes Around Comes Around: Inventing a Mythology of Teamwork and Empowerment.” The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science 37 (1): 70- 89. Ullman, S.E. (2005). Interviewing Clinicians and Advocates Who Work With Sexual Assault Survivors: A Personal Perspective on Moving From Quantitative to Qualitative Research Methods. Violence Against Women, 11, (8): 113-1139. By: Leslie Fischman
1ST DRAFT Potential solutions Chapter 4 (Data Analysis): HOW FEELINGS, EMOTIONS, AND THOUGHTS LEAD TO . . . VICARIOUS TRAUMA, IDENTITY CHANGE AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE THERAPIST AND COUNSELOR’S SENSE OF SELF In this chapter, I will be discussing how feelings, emotions, and thoughts lead to vicarious trauma, identity change and the transformation of the therapist’s and counselor’s sense of self. Preventing Vicarious Trauma: Assessment of the Cognitive Therapeutic Approach Bennett-Goldman in “Mindfulness Therapy” describes the schemas we develop about ourselves and the degree to which they can be changed and challenged throughout our personal development. Schemas, described by Bennett-Goldman, “are basic beliefs about yourself, [and] conditioned habitual patterns of the mind” (2). Therapists in becoming aware of their own “malapadative schemas about oneself” (2) begin to recognize how negative thoughts can challenge or change the way in which they “interpret reality, [with thoughts] coloring [their] beliefs, emotions and reactions.” Therapist’s have the power to break the chain that leads to changes and potential negative effects to one’s schema’s by being aware of the “habitual patterns of [their] mind” and, as clients would in Bennett-Goldman’s study, therapist’s too can get better at catching these automatic thoughts and challeng[e] them in the moment they arise, [to] begin to break free of the hold of those thoughts” (5). Therapist can achieve these skills through training, their academic career, and early work experience where they learn and practice putting to use these skills. In addition, therapists and counselors, while attempting to identify and problem-solve their own issues, can learn how to avoid getting stuck in the negativity of thoughts that may arise from their interactions with others and personal life experiences, and “gain more emotional leverage” (Bennett-Goldman:5) over their feelings and reactions. In reading “Mindfulness Therapy” I noticed a parallel between the emotion management strategies identified by Hochschild 1983 and strategies therapist use within the cognitive therapeutic approach to helping others. If emotion management strategies can be used to help counselor’s and therapists to identify their feelings and their emotion, as well as the origins of their existence than cognitive therapy can help one identify “counterproductive thoughts” and know that “they are not obligated to believe [their] thoughts” (Bennett-Goldman:1). If we apply the cognitive therapeutic approach to “information-processing theory,” counselors can break the chain of processing their emotions in a way that would lead to either the reinforcement of negative schemas they hold or themselves or cause the development of negative schemas they hold of themselves. Bennett-Goldman argues that if “sensationàcognitionàemotionàIntent àAction” than how to put a stop to the development of negative schemas would be to heighten one’s awareness at “the feeling/emotion phase” of the “information processing cycle” (2). Vicarious Trauma is like a panic attack (*cite*), if you ignore the signals leading up to it, it hits you, but if your mindful of the cycle that leads to it you leave room for the potential to prevent the experience from ever arising. Being mindful and aware of our feelings, according to Bennett-Goldman, requires an assessment of two factors, one being cognitive and the other mental. Therapist are better able to help others if they can help themselves pinpoint those “destructive underlying assumptions,” describes by Bennett- Goldman, and react by “develop[ing] strategies that lead to a more balanced, realistic perspective” and activate a belief within themselves and the power their mind has over the emotions they feel. Bennett-Goldman advocates the idea that therapist who unleash their capacity to take “counterproductive, illogical thoughts, to untwist cognitive distortions, and to work with life events or their own thoughts” is one step toward develop a better understanding of themselves and their perception of others. rewrite—already in lit review***Similarly, van der Kolk (2001), in a study on the assessment and treatment of complex PTSD, argues that “people’s core sense of self, is, to a substantial degree, defined by their capacity to regulate internal states and by how well they can predict and regulate their responses to stress” (7). He believes that the longer we allow symptoms of the trauma to persist, the greater the likelihood of developing more serious psychological problems later on. Consequently, repeated exposure to victims of sexual assault and the sharing of their experiences may have a significant impact on the counselor’s emotional well being (Trippany et al. 2004). Their role, as hotline counselors and victim advocates, requires them to engage with clients on a deep and personal level and such “exposure can lead to a transformation within the psychological functioning of counselors” (31). Studies show that some experiences may have a lasting impact and lead to “disruptions in basic cognitive schemas about [a counselor’s] trust in oneself and others and beliefs regarding safety” (Wasco and Campbell 2002:121). Some of the changes in perceptions expressed by those I interviewed, described an increase in awareness about sexual assault resulting from their experiences working with their clients. When counselors were asked what they found to be the most challenging aspect of their role, one counselor, Tanya, replied . . . “learning about other peoples horrible experiences sometimes can give me a negative perspective on things . . .[questioning] how could someone do this? Treat someone like this? [you, as a hotline counselor] experience second hand horrible experiences.” Wasco and Campbell (2002) describe “the lasting impact of working closely with rape survivors” (120) and the “intrapsychic effects of indirect exposure to rape on caregivers” (120). Arguing that “a transformation . . .occurs within a therapist after bearing witness to clients’ . . . experiences” (120). Many of the emotions generated between counselors and their clients are “rooted in, the open engagement of empathy, or the connection, with the client” (Trippany et al. 2004:31). Zimering expresses that the greatest pitfalls to trauma work also have the potential to bring great rewards, if they (the therapist/counselor) responds constructively. Pearlman & Saakvitne in Zimering et al. describes the four domains of the prevention of secondary trauma and the identifying factors encompassing each. Addressing Cultural Changes in Relation to the Counselor’s Role Transformation As society evolves and the individuals within them change, so does the role of the therapist and hotline counselor in responding to victims of trauma. From a sociological perspective, changes occurring within society can have a tremendous effect on the individual sense of self, depending on the mechanisms of which they have to successful cope with these changes. As culture changes, people change and new problems associated with those changes arise. In lieu of the major catastrophes that have struck our nation in recent years, researchers have begun to question the effectiveness of the care provided by first respondents and those in the metal health care professions and the level of preparation in the event of an emergency. Thus new studies, such as the one’s conducted by . . . . . . . have questioned the necessary training that should be required among mental health care professionals and first respondents (i.e. hotline counselors) to deal with these newly arising social problems and how to help others address and cope with their present circumstances. Cause and Effect: How Counselor may become desensitized as a way of coping with unwanted or disturbing feelings associated with the work they do, occurs when counselor’s forget how to feel objectively and differentiate between surface levels of acting and deep acting. They lose control of the emotions and ability to make sense of them, they become overwhelmed and the feelings of a loss of control over their emotions mirrors the disempowerment of the survivors they speak to who feel a lost sense of control themselves. When our “curious shades of will” have been tainted and our “capacity to control the way we feel” has been tarnished. By: Leslie Fischman
Chapter 3 (Data Analysis): Emotion Management: Becoming A Hotline Counselor & Trauma Therapist Emotion Management: Learning the Language and the Scripts The basics of learning how to manage ones emotions while on the hotline, begins during counselor training. Newcomers are taught to be cautious of developing particular attachments and given advice on how to control their emotions, by modeling the techniques used by the more experienced members. During training, counselors “learn how to feel” (Arluke 2004:346) by using emotion management strategies, which help them to distance themselves emotionally by “adopting a different set of assumptions” about survivors of sexual assault, “that may be inconsistent with (their) prior views” (Arluke 2004:346). Listening not Fixing! Normalizing the Caller’s/Client’s Feelings In order to gain a better understanding of “how others assess (their) emotional display” (Hochschild 2003:57), experienced counselors provide the newcomers with constant feedback and “rule reminders” (57) to tell them how to act and how to feel. For example, supergroup leader Mike, at one of the Supergroup meetings, reminded the counselors that. . . “What we do best is listening. Our job is not to try and problem solve, but to help the caller figure out what’s frustrating them, by helping them to identify their own feelings. There are two parts to every call, one part is the emotion building, empathy, bonding part, and only 10% of the call should involve problem solving and fixing. In the first five minutes of the call, regardless of what they’re calling about . . . It’s bonding time.” Shainberg illustrates the key transformation that therapist’s undergo when working with clients in this way. She claims that when counselors learn to let go of their thoughts, and stop trying to fix, they become better listeners. By making a conscious effort to be aware of one’s thoughts and judgements, counselor’s and therapist can better prepare themselves to be active listeners in identifying the caller’s feelings and not what feelings within themselves the caller is triggering (Shainberg 1983:175) Part of the role of the hotline counselor is to help others make sense of their experiences, by allowing them to explore their own feelings in a way which will lead them to a better understanding of themselves. In this way counselors can best help others by letting the client make sense of their experiences themselves without telling them how or what they should feel. Trungpa 1983 argues that the basic role of the therapist “is to become full human beings and to inspire full human-beingness in other people” (in Awakening the Heart). Similarly counselors are best able to help others when they fully understand the importance of being open and come to understand the meaningfulness of the work they do for survivors of sexual assault. When counselor’s and therapist are unsuccessful at being true to themselves than “when working with others is a question of being genuine and projecting that genuiness to others” (Trungpa1983). Trungpa argues that the role of the therapist is “not try to figure out people based on their past” but rather for them to develop a sense of “fearlessness” in the face of the unknown which is “necessary to work patiently with others” (Trungpa 1983). Normalizing the feelings of others requires the therapist in part to create and open space, let go of their fears of failure and the embarrassment they may feel by saying the wrong thing. Trungpa 1983 explains that in order “to cultivate basic healthiness in others” requires the helper “to cute [their] own impatience and learn” to be more accepting of others no matter whether we may understand. Trunpga alludes to the idea that whether or not therapist’s can personally identify with the experiences of client should not be a measure of how capable the therapist feels in helping that individual, being there and listening is just as effective. Trugpa specifically speaks to psychotherapist and their role as the helper to commit to their patients fully, in the sense that they pay attention and actively listen to their lives more so than any “ordinary medical work” position would require them to. She describes the relationship between the therapist and the client as more of a “long term commitment” that strengthens over time, with patience and the development of a certain trust that enables the client to freely express themselves and share their feelings. To a large extent, becoming a hotline counselor requires individuals to conform to a set of group norms and adopt the collective values of the whole in order to achieve “complete membership” (Adler & Adler) to the team. How they learn to Build an Emotional Bond With The Client The Importance of Self-Care One victim advocates and professionals I interviewed, who for the purposes of maintaining anonyminity of my subjects will be referred to as Carol, expressed the importance of practicing self-care in individual therapy, she described it as “finding out how to hold that space of compassion; helping them find their journey . . . not telling them.” She described this process as analogous to “being a witness . . . like a midwife.” She explained that “if [she] notices [she’s] encroaching on this space, she would say something like, “I think you could better be served if you check out” and then give the client a referral, like another therapists or counselor better suited to accommodate the client’s needs. But Carol has one rule of thumb when making a referral, she never refers a patient to someone she doesn’t know personally. Rewards and Benefits to Becoming a Hotline Counselor The role of a rape crisis hotline counselor is multidimensional, and it is through their experiences and practice with the emotion management techniques that they learn how to better assess their feelings as well as the feelings of the caller. Volunteers who find their experiences most rewarding are those who can best adapt to the strategies they learn in training. However when counselors are no longer able to mange their emotions, their level commitment to their role decreases, thus affecting the quality of care provided to their clients. What are the factors that contribute to lessening one’s level of commitment? Deep Acting vs. Surface Acting The role of the therapist and hotline counselor requires more than just playing their part, it requires “deep acting” on their part (Hochschild 1983). Unlike “surface acting” which is simply pretending to feel like an actor or actress would, “deep acting” results in an emotional separation from ourselves and our feelings, when feelings happen to us whether or not we tried to elicit that response in the first place. THESIS ORAL DEFENSE GUIDE
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2007 in KTCH 217 15min. Introduce your study Briefly discussing why you did this project *The majority of the time should be dedicated to your findings and their connection to existing literature Discuss the MAJOR ones –that you used to organize your data selection WHY I DID THIS PROJECT . . . Well, I volunteered for a non-profit organization for three years as an undergrad, and was a trained and certified rape crisis hotline counselor. I took anywhere between 2-4 12hr shifts a month and attended monthly team meetings and monthly supergroup meetings. I initially didn’t consider writing an honors thesis until Professor Brown had mentioned that my sociology research methods paper would be a good starting point for an honors thesis. So I decided to take my original study on emotion management strategies used by rape crisis hotline counselors and expanded it to illustrate a bigger picture and incorporate additional perspectives on emotion management and theory that I didn’t have the time to write about during a single semester. I wrote this paper because it was something that I could do to better understand my own experiences as well as the experiences of those closest to me. Writing this paper has deepened my understanding and knowledge about secondary trauma and what I can do as a secondary to help those around me in pain and help them to move past the trauma and be aware of how I can be the better support system and how to be more willingly to accept the support from others, and know that its okay if I need help and that I don’t have to helping Leslie Fischman everyone and continue ignoring or looking at myself and what I can do to better manage my emotions and have healthier interactions with others and be able to more effectively communicate my needs and my feelings to my support systems. I’ve realized that by focusing on myself, doesn’t mean that I’m being selfish, but shows that I am aware of my own inadequacies and want to improve myself and strengthen my abilities. I’ve learned that accepting help from others and facing what I fear most has been the only way for me to grow and move past those periods when I find myself stifled and afraid to fail. I’ve found that in sharing my experiences with others, I have received more positive feedback than negative, and wish to help others be more accepting of themselves and that the better they understand themselves the easier it will become to go to others. Rather than allow our perceived differences to keep us from making strong interpersonal bonds and connections with others whose support may be what we need. MAJOR FINDINGS . . . Q&APREP ... 1) What impact on your data does not having interviewed volunteers after they left SASA have on your findings? Due to the fact that I did not interview participants that had left during the time of this study, my findings cannot confirm the truth of why they left, and my findings are based on their responses to questions regarding any strain, difficulty, or stress they experienced during their time at SASA. Therefore the majority of my findings and the conclusions I have drawn from my data analysis are based on my subjective interpretation of their responses in addition to an objective look at the existing research on vicarious trauma in order to draw logical conclusions as to what some of the potential causes could have most likely been. I basically used my literature review to establish a certain number or premises, reviewing a variety of literature to gain some perspective and be able to establish my conclusions based on the evidence existing as well as my interviews to confirm these possibilities. 2) What do you think are the keys to effective emotion management? Three things:
Family, unlike support systems comprised on friends and team members functions in a much different way. They are expected to provide unconditional support to their loved ones, however when these systems fail, individuals must also have secondary support systems other than they ones they are used to going to for help. Individuals must be willing to ask for help and at the same time be surrounded by those who want to help and share similar motivations and a desire to help others, even if it means finding support for themselves. Support systems should be there to support, not fix. They are an individual’s buffers to falling, and should someone need them, they are there unconditionally for them. 4) Additional Support for Parson’s General Theory of Action “The culture of an organization, and the people in charge of its structure, dictates how individuals work together and the level of support they receive from one another. The general goals of the organization are to provide support to victims, however must be weary of undermining the significance of the support they give to their providers. The “Parsons’ General Theory of Action provides a framework for linking emotions to organizational action” (Callahan 2002:282). Callahan applies this theory of action and its four functions: adaptation, goal attainment, integration, and latent maintenance. According to Callahan Parsons’ General Theory of Action helps one to understand the complex social systems that make-up organizations and their ability to achieve their greatest potential for change.” (CH.5-Pg.91) *ELABORATE* How effectively organizations can help others is often based on how well they perform the following functions. If they can establish these sets of standards within the organization, then as a whole they will be more prepared and better able to assist others and provide adequate support. Callahan (2002) differentiates non-profit organizations from other kinds, “by a common value- driven goal” shared by its members that is reinforced by a specific type of “pattern-maintenance . . . that serve the larger society in the sense that they are based upon the institutionalization of values” (Parsons 1956 in Callahan 2002: 282). Callahan (2002) discusses how the emotions that generate an organizations structure can potentially form a barrier to organizational change. Callahan (2002) asserts that cultural forces must be assessed in addition to individual and organizational elements forming “emotion structuration” within non- profit organizations. According to Callahan “emotions act as the ‘primary signaling system that organizes interactions’ among individuals in social systems,” whereby how well individuals and organizations develop techniques for managing emotions determines their ability to undergo “an organizational change efforts” (282). Defining the four functions of Parsons’ General Theory of Action (Callahan 2002) Adaptation: 5) Expand findings on organizational transitions. “Organizational Transitions” Organizational transitions occur, partially as a result of individuals coming and going, but is also related to changes occurring within society and among outside members. As society evolves and the individuals within them change, so does the role of the therapist and hotline counselor in responding to victims of trauma. From a sociological perspective, changes occurring within society can have a tremendous effect on the individual sense of self, depending on the mechanisms of which they have to successfully cope with these changes. As culture changes, people change, and new problems associated with those changes arise. In lieu of the major catastrophes that have struck our nation in recent years, researchers have begun to question the effectiveness of the care provided by first respondents and those in the mental health care professions and the level of preparation they have in the event of an emergency. Researchers have only begun to assess what adjustments need to be made to current training requirements among mental health care professionals and first respondents (i.e. hotline counselors) and how to deal with these newly arising social problems to help others address and cope with their present circumstances (Zimering, Rose, Munroe, James and Gulliver, and Bird 2003). (CH.5-Pg.89) Therefore, organizations have an obligation to be aware of the cultural changes and how it is affecting the culture and environment within the organization. Especially understanding how added strain from societal judgments and dealing with victim blaming in the news affects the volunteer and their sense of agency and capacity to make change and be apart of positive change within their community. Which reinforces the value and significance of on-going education and training in helping professions such as therapist and hotline counselors, so that they are prepared to respond to these changes and at the same time reinforces their awareness of current events and issues and how what they do is an integral part of this social movement. Knowledge from one’s experiences as well as the experiences of others helps build one’s awareness which is key to reinforcing the volunteer and advocates sense of purpose within the organization and gives them a feeling of importance that they are apart of a larger whole trying to help influence positive changes within the community and in the world. By: Leslie Fischman
CH 5: Pri v. Pub & Obstacles to Committment Managing the Private vs. Public A victim advocate and professional, named Carol, said that one of the hardest things she had to learn to do is “managing the private and public; how family life affects work life.” She explains the importance of being present, and learning to “sit with it.” She says that by finding her balance she is better suited to emotionally to help her clients balance their emotions. Carol has found that what has helped her most to prevent getting burnt-out has been to diversify the things she does. She has diversified her career by simultaneously managing a private practice, teaching college level seminars at the university, doing administrative work, studying psychological theory, and she really stressed the importance of self-care to parallel the process. When I asked Carol what she felt was the most challenging aspect of her role she first stated that, “well there are three people here in the office and this question could be answered differently for all of us, but for me it’s: getting my mind set so that her paradigm is shifted so that she can appreciate the value of advocacy work and how its different than other clinician work she has done in the past.” She explains how she has “incorporated lots of ways of doing self-care” to minimize the chances of her experience burnt-out and feelings of being overwhelmed. Debra a licensed professional in the field, When asked – Have you ever felt burnt- out from work and how do you re-focus of get centered when feeling overwhelmed and stressed? – Debra replied, “Yes” and stressed “the importance of self care.” Some of the methods of self-care Debra practices are things like stretching after work or exercising outdoors. She describes coping with stress on the job as “burn out stuck in our bodies and finding the means to get it out of her body . . .exercising every morning . . . being intentional and making time for it.” Debra pointed out that . . . “this may not be true for everyone . . . people get triggered differently. When it’s overwhelming busy and I feel like I can’t give everybody the care they need. . .which is not the time to get anxiety . . . so instead I get re-centered by remembering to pace myself in the time between cases . . . to take a breath . . . and when I don’t have time to do this in between spaces in my work schedule is when its the most important time for me to practice self-care . . .during these times is when its most necessary for me to take care of myself . . . so that I don’t subject myself to the potential of getting burnt-out and or . . . harming myself. Which is why when I get overwhelmed its important for me to get out and do something.” Obstacles to Commitment: Personal Motivations & Reinforcing Positive Self-Concepts One factor that can be predictive of the length of service of volunteers on a crisis hotline is their individual motivations they had prior to entering service work. When an individuals motivations for volunteering are constructed by an expectation for personal gain and or guided by assumptions about what they think it will be like, they may have already set themselves up for failure. When their actual experiences differ from their preconceived notions of what therapy work will be like, minor triggers and the beginning stages of acquiring their role may pose significant challenges to their self concept which may lead them to drop out and/or easily become burnt-out. By raising awareness about VT, counselor’s and therapist will be less apprehensive about sharing those negative feelings about what they do with other group members. In order to prevent counselors from “los[ing] touch with their emotions . . . [when] they do not allow feelings which would conflict with others into awareness and will try to say what they anticipate would be most pleasing” (O’Leary 1997:140). Which explains why it would be most difficult for those struggling to perform their role to admit any feelings that would suggest any personal weaknesses they may have, and suggest that maybe this is not the right role for them in life. Which can be really hard for those people who want to help others to admit to themselves that they are not as good at helping others as they think they are, and that really the one they should be helping is themselves. Surprisingly the majority of the hotline counselors who I interviewed described feeling nervous before their first shifts. Not only did they feel uncertain and questioned their ability, but they were told that “it was normal for them to feel this way” and that through experience they would get better at it and eventually feel more comfortable. Although many of the counselors felt more competent after a few shifts, they recalled very vivid memories of their first calls and how it affected them emotionally. One counselor, Sophie expresses . . . “to hear it and be the only person they can talk to is kind of scary . . . you’re a stranger but you are trying to help them . . . thought it wouldn’t affect me as much as is does and has . . . we can’t fix them [and it’s] hard knowing we never can. After a call [you ask yourself] did I say or do the right thing . . .is this person better now? It’s hard to know afterward if you helped them.” Individuals who constantly question themselves, the value of the work they do, and are dependent on the need to have their feelings normalized by others and other positive reinforcements are most likely to question their own self-concepts when their feelings are not validated by their counterparts. In some respects, the goal of therapy for the client and the goal of being a therapist is to do something and engage with others in a way that reinforces a positive self-concept. However when our experiences and interactions with others yield negative feels about oneself, those feelings can cause one to question the purpose of their role and effect their level of commitment to something that doesn’t represent the most positive version of themselves they hoped they’d live up to within their role. When they allow other’s reactions to affect their view of themselves and their ability to help others in the way they expected they would. Part of a therapists personal growth comes from accepting the fact that they can never expect change to come from someone else, but that they themselves can learn to accept the fact that they are powerless over another’s feelings, regardless of their level of training or educational background, the counselor learns to accept the many aspects of being a hotline counselor that they have no control over. Challenges and Transformations Shainberg (1983) illustrates the key transformation that therapist’s undergo when working with clients in this way. She claims that when counselors learn to let go of their thoughts, and stop trying to fix, they become better listeners. By making a conscious effort to be aware of one’s thoughts and judgements, counselor’s and therapist can better prepare themselves to be active listeners in identifying the caller’s feelings and not what feelings within themselves the caller is triggering (Shainberg 1983:175) Part of the role of the hotline counselor is to help others make sense of their experiences, by allowing them to explore their own feelings in a way which will lead them to a better understanding of themselves. In this way counselors can best help others by letting the client make sense of their experiences themselves without telling them how or what they should feel. Trungpa (1983) argues that the basic role of the therapist “is to become full human beings and to inspire full human-beingness in other people” (in Awakening the Heart). Similarly counselors are best able to help others when they fully understand the importance of being open and come to understand the meaningfulness of the work they do for survivors of sexual assault. When counselor’s and therapist are unsuccessful at being true to themselves than “when working with others is a question of being genuine and projecting that genuiness to others” (Trungpa 1983). Trungpa argues that the role of the therapist is “not try to figure out people based on their past” but rather for them to develop a sense of “fearlessness” in the face of the unknown which is “necessary to work patiently with others” (Trungpa 1983). Normalizing the feelings of others requires the therapist in part to create and open space, let go of their fears of failure and the embarrassment they may feel by saying the wrong thing. Trungpa (1983) explains that in order “to cultivate basic healthiness in others” requires the helper “to cute [their] own impatience and learn” to be more accepting of others, regardless whether or not we may understand them. Trunpga (1983) alludes to the idea that whether or not therapist’s can personally identify with the experiences of client should not be a measure of how capable the therapist feels in helping that individual, being there and listening is just as effective. Trugpa (1983) specifically speaks to psychotherapist and their role as the helper to commit to their patients fully, in the sense that they pay attention and actively listen to their lives more so than any “ordinary medical work” position would require them to. She describes the relationship between the therapist and the client as more of a “long term commitment” that strengthens over time, with patience and the development of a certain trust that enables the client to freely express themselves and share their feelings. By: Leslie Fischman
2ND DRAFT AS OF 9/30/07 Chapter 3: [PART A] What do we know about VT? Who’s affected? While there are many studies focusing on the volunteers role and their experiences, there has been little focus on negative factors affecting volunteers’ level of commitment, and the long-term effects of repeated exposure to sexual assault victims and victims of trauma. Hellman & House’s (2006) findings indicate that volunteers “serving victims of sexual assault report a psychologically stressful environment and often experience vicarious reactions to the trauma of victims” (117). Recent studies have used the term “Vicarious Trauma . . . to describe counselors’ [emotional] reactions that are secondary to their exposure to clients’ [sharing their] experiences” (Trippany et al. 2004:31). Trippany et al. (2004) give a detailed description of symptoms of VT experienced by counselors and professionals who provide advocacy to sexual assault survivors, and how the experience of VT can lead to “profound changes in the core aspects of the therapist self” (31). However, there is very little if any sociological research that focuses on client-counselor relations and the counselor’s emotional reactions resulting from their interaction with sexual assault victims. More recently the term “vicarious trauma” has been used to address the secondary emotional reactions to trauma experienced by the counselor. Vicarious Trauma is more than just burnout or “psychological stress of working with difficult clients” (Figley1995 in Trippany et al 2004: 31), VT has been described “as a traumatic reaction to specific client-presented information . . . [that] occurs only among those who work specifically with trauma survivors,” (32) including rape crisis hotline counselors and professional therapists in the field. Brian E. Bride (2007) conducted a psychological researched based study on the “Prevalence of Secondary Traumatic Stress among Social Workers” assisting “survivors of childhood abuse, domestic violence, violent crime, disasters, and war and terrorism” (63). Figley (1999) in Bride (2007) defines Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS) “as the natural, consequent behaviors and emotions resulting from knowledge about a traumatizing event experienced by a significant other. It is the stress resulting from helping or wanting to help a traumatized or suffering person” (63). However Bride (2007) indicates that there are “no published studies that examine the prevalence of STS among social workers” (64). From a sociological perspective, counselor’s experiencing symptoms of STS can have a significant impact on their sense of self and their ability to help others, which Bride claims to be “an occupational hazard” (64) affecting “psychotherapist and mental health professionals, sexual assault counselors, and trauma therapist” (64) in the field. George S. Everly, Jr., Ph.D. and Jeffrey T. Mitchell, Ph.D. provide research on what they call “the debriefing controversy” and a shift in focus within crisis intervention research. Their study investigates the “effectiveness of crisis intervention” (211) and the “need to now focus upon ‘who’ does crisis intervention, to ‘whom’ and in ‘what specific situations’ (211) underlying “the foundation of the field of crisis intervention” (211). Reading this study made me curious to see how different levels of training, engagement, and educational backgrounds factored into one’s interpretation and perception of their experiences and themselves. Do paid professionals have a greater capacity to cope with feelings arising from interactions with clients who are sexual assault survivors, than 40 hour trained volunteers? And found that therapist in comparison to hotline counselors, overall seemed more prepared for their role and had more knowledge about what to expect from the clients and were more prepared for how to approach and/or help the client. The most difficult part of the hotline counselor’s role is the unexpected aspect of it, and what they have yet to learn through their academic, work, and life experiences. On a more positive note, how can reliving trauma and facing what we are most afraid of help empower ourselves, our emotional strength, and give us the courage to face the world and not feel threatened and/or powerless anymore? There are certain kinds of people drawn to this line of work, and in many ways helping others can help volunteers and victim advocates help themselves cope with life’s most trying and traumatic experiences. The purpose of training is not to teach counselor’s how to avoid the experience of pain altogether, but to be prepared for when it comes unexpectedly and have the skills and capacity to cope with feelings of discomfort when they arise. It is often through this process that counselor’s become better prepared to help others, by learning how to help themselves first, and by strengthening themselves emotionally for their role. CONFLUENCE AS SEEN IN VICARIOUS TRAUMA VICTIMS O’Leary in 1997 discussed the differences between confluence and empathy. She defined confluence as “the absence or disappearance of a sense of separateness where an emotional boundary is no longer seen to exist between two individuals,” which I believe is the point at which symptoms of vicarious traumatization have overcome an individuals sense of self and the emotional boundary between themselves and the client has become blurred. “Merging” is what O’Leary calls the “elimination of difference” which may similarly occur between counselor’s and the feelings the have resulting from interacting with the client (138). This merging of identity also occurs throughout the process of socializing individuals into becoming hotline counselor’s. In many ways organizations promote a sense of confluence among its members “as a demand for likeness (to another person/object) and an inability to tolerate difference (from that person/object). Confluent individuals agree not to disagree” (O’Leary1997:138). Counselor’s and therapist must be weary of how “work confluence” affects them and “the proportion of their time” dedicated to their role as well as the time spent outside of their counselor/therapist role in order to avoid becoming over consumed. Newcomers in proving their commitment to the organizational leaders are most susceptible to avoiding the symptoms of VT by “continu[ing] in this behavior even if they are overextended or suffer illness” (139). In some ways those who identify too closely with the survivors, either through their own personal experiences or years experience working on the line, may “see this confluence as unavoidable since their work is them and they are their work” (139). The pressure to maintain the confidentiality of their clients and their legal obligation to maintain that confidentiality puts an added strain on volunteers and therapists, by limiting their options for support and debriefing. This further enhances an individuals dependence on in-group social and emotional support. By raising awareness about VT, counselor’s and therapist will be less apprehensive about sharing those negative feelings about what they do with other group members. In order to prevent counselors from “los[ing] touch with their emotions . . . [when] they do not allow feelings which would conflict with others into awareness and will try to say what they anticipate would be most pleasing” (O’Leary 1997:140). Which explains why it would be most difficult for those struggling to perform their role to admit any feelings that would suggest any personal weaknesses they may have, and suggest that maybe this is not the right role for them in life. Which can be really hard for those people who want to help others to admit to themselves that they are not as good at helping others as they think they are, and that really the one they should be helping is themselves. O’Leary 1997 describes four characteristics of confluent individuals, which are . . . “a weak boundary between oneself and the world; absence of a sense of self involving denial of wishes and emotions; caretaking of others or objects and a sense of dependence on others or objects” (140). All of which O’Leary1997 argues explains why these individuals “may let other individuals hurt them repeatedly” (140). Many of the hotline counselors I interviewed expressed some form of “feel[ing] responsible for others to such an extent that is the other person is hurt, depressed or angry, they may feel guilty even if they had nothing to do with the onset of the problem and are unlikely to relax until the particular difficulty is resolved” (140). Which explains why its so difficult for counselor’s to separate themselves (emotionally) from the client after a call ends, because there is to some extent a lasting emotional impact on the counselor’s sense of self when they feel they could have or should have done more to help alleviate the client’s distress. Subsequently, O’Leary warns individuals of the potential for these symptoms to lead to the “experience of anxiety and confusion and may withdraw into personal and social isolation” as seen in counselor’s experiencing vicarious trauma and reason as to why they leave. 1ST DRAFT
Potential solutions Chapter 4 (Data Analysis): HOW FEELINGS, EMOTIONS, AND THOUGHTS LEAD TO . . . VICARIOUS TRAUMA, IDENTITY CHANGE AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE THERAPIST AND COUNSELOR’S SENSE OF SELF By: Leslie Fischman In this chapter, I will be discussing how feelings, emotions, and thoughts lead to vicarious trauma, identity change and the transformation of the therapist’s and counselor’s sense of self. Preventing Vicarious Trauma: Assessment of the Cognitive Therapeutic Approach Bennett-Goldman in “Mindfulness Therapy” describes the schemas we develop about ourselves and the degree to which they can be changed and challenged throughout our personal development. Schemas, described by Bennett-Goldman, “are basic beliefs about yourself, [and] conditioned habitual patterns of the mind” (2). Therapists in becoming aware of their own “malapadative schemas about oneself” (2) begin to recognize how negative thoughts can challenge or change the way in which they “interpret reality, [with thoughts] coloring [their] beliefs, emotions and reactions.” Therapist’s have the power to break the chain that leads to changes and potential negative effects to one’s schema’s by being aware of the “habitual patterns of [their] mind” and, as clients would in Bennett-Goldman’s study, therapist’s too can get better at catching these automatic thoughts and challeng[e] them in the moment they arise, [to] begin to break free of the hold of those thoughts” (5). Therapist can achieve these skills through training, their academic career, and early work experience where they learn and practice putting to use these skills. In addition, therapists and counselors, while attempting to identify and problem-solve their own issues, can learn how to avoid getting stuck in the negativity of thoughts that may arise from their interactions with others and personal life experiences, and “gain more emotional leverage” (Bennett-Goldman:5) over their feelings and reactions. In reading “Mindfulness Therapy” I noticed a parallel between the emotion management strategies identified by Hochschild 1983 and strategies therapist use within the cognitive therapeutic approach to helping others. If emotion management strategies can be used to help counselor’s and therapists to identify their feelings and their emotion, as well as the origins of their existence than cognitive therapy can help one identify “counterproductive thoughts” and know that “they are not obligated to believe [their] thoughts” (Bennett-Goldman:1). If we apply the cognitive therapeutic approach to “information-processing theory,” counselors can break the chain of processing their emotions in a way that would lead to either the reinforcement of negative schemas they hold or themselves or cause the development of negative schemas they hold of themselves. Bennett-Goldman argues that if “sensationàcognitionàemotionàIntent àAction” than how to put a stop to the development of negative schemas would be to heighten one’s awareness at “the feeling/emotion phase” of the “information processing cycle” (2). Vicarious Trauma is like a panic attack (*cite*), if you ignore the signals leading up to it, it hits you, but if your mindful of the cycle that leads to it you leave room for the potential to prevent the experience from ever arising. Being mindful and aware of our feelings, according to Bennett-Goldman, requires an assessment of two factors, one being cognitive and the other mental. Therapist are better able to help others if they can help themselves pinpoint those “destructive underlying assumptions,” describes by Bennett- Goldman, and react by “develop[ing] strategies that lead to a more balanced, realistic perspective” and activate a belief within themselves and the power their mind has over the emotions they feel. Bennett-Goldman advocates the idea that therapist who unleash their capacity to take “counterproductive, illogical thoughts, to untwist cognitive distortions, and to work with life events or their own thoughts” is one step toward develop a better understanding of themselves and their perception of others. rewrite—already in lit review***Similarly, van der Kolk (2001), in a study on the assessment and treatment of complex PTSD, argues that “people’s core sense of self, is, to a substantial degree, defined by their capacity to regulate internal states and by how well they can predict and regulate their responses to stress” (7). He believes that the longer we allow symptoms of the trauma to persist, the greater the likelihood of developing more serious psychological problems later on. Consequently, repeated exposure to victims of sexual assault and the sharing of their experiences may have a significant impact on the counselor’s emotional well being (Trippany et al. 2004). Their role, as hotline counselors and victim advocates, requires them to engage with clients on a deep and personal level and such “exposure can lead to a transformation within the psychological functioning of counselors” (31). Studies show that some experiences may have a lasting impact and lead to “disruptions in basic cognitive schemas about [a counselor’s] trust in oneself and others and beliefs regarding safety” (Wasco and Campbell 2002:121). Some of the changes in perceptions expressed by those I interviewed, described an increase in awareness about sexual assault resulting from their experiences working with their clients. When counselors were asked what they found to be the most challenging aspect of their role, one counselor, Tanya, replied . . . “learning about other peoples horrible experiences sometimes can give me a negative perspective on things . . .[questioning] how could someone do this? Treat someone like this? [you, as a hotline counselor] experience second hand horrible experiences.” Wasco and Campbell (2002) describe “the lasting impact of working closely with rape survivors” (120) and the “intrapsychic effects of indirect exposure to rape on caregivers” (120). Arguing that “a transformation . . .occurs within a therapist after bearing witness to clients’ . . . experiences” (120). Many of the emotions generated between counselors and their clients are “rooted in, the open engagement of empathy, or the connection, with the client” (Trippany et al. 2004:31). Zimering expresses that the greatest pitfalls to trauma work also have the potential to bring great rewards, if they (the therapist/counselor) responds constructively. Pearlman & Saakvitne in Zimering et al. describes the four domains of the prevention of secondary trauma and the identifying factors encompassing each. Addressing Cultural Changes in Relation to the Counselor’s Role Transformation As society evolves and the individuals within them change, so does the role of the therapist and hotline counselor in responding to victims of trauma. From a sociological perspective, changes occurring within society can have a tremendous effect on the individual sense of self, depending on the mechanisms of which they have to successful cope with these changes. As culture changes, people change and new problems associated with those changes arise. In lieu of the major catastrophes that have struck our nation in recent years, researchers have begun to question the effectiveness of the care provided by first respondents and those in the mental health care professions and the level of preparation in the event of an emergency. Thus new studies, such as the one’s conducted by . . . . . . . have questioned the necessary training that should be required among mental health care professionals and first respondents (i.e. hotline counselors) to deal with these newly arising social problems and how to help others address and cope with their present circumstances. Cultural Change and its Effects on Organizational Change Callahan 2002 discusses the “organizational culture [and how] emotion structuration can form a potential barrier to organizational change” (282). She refers to “Parsons’ Generla Theory of Action [and] provides a framework for linking emotions to organizational action” (282). Callahan 2002 applies this theory of action and its four “functions”: adaptation, goal attainment, integration, and latent maintenance, in order to better understand and “facilitat[e] our understanding of organizations as complex social systems” (284). Mainzer 1994 (in Callahan 2002) claims that these social systems that develop within organizations is primarly constructed by “affective connections among members of the system (284). In addition, Callahan 2002, refers to Hochschild 1979,1983 studies on emotion work and how “society drives and individual to cognitively shape and control feelings in order to fit within that society, in order to achieve goals within that society. Therefore, emotion management can be considered as one type of instrumental action” (284). Callahan 2002 argues that instead of seeing emotions as an “individual phenomenon” we should look at the potential for emotions “to be seen as an external or social phenomena that becomes embedded in the environment itself” (291). Seeing emotions as a social phenomena can help us to better understand the processes through which hotline counselors are socialized within organizations about how to feel, and recognize the organizations responsibility and influence over how individuals manage their emotions and the “larger script[s] and the larger structure in which that script was embedded” Weik 1979 (in Callahan 2002:292). Callahn 2002 argues that in order to recognize these patterns of emotional structuration we must address a “need for change at the larger organizational level” (292) in order to start making changes at the individual level. Cause and Effect: How Counselor may become desensitized as a way of coping with unwanted or disturbing feelings associated with the work they do Occurs when counselor’s forget how to feel objectively and differentiate between surface levels of acting and deep acting. They lose control of the emotions and ability to make sense of them, they become overwhelmed and the feelings of a loss of control over their emotions mirrors the disempowerment of the survivors they speak to who feel a lost sense of control themselves. When our “curious shades of will” have been tainted and our “capacity to control the way we feel” has been tarnished. By: Leslie Fischman
Introduction This research explores organizational structure and interpersonal relationships among a group of individuals volunteering and working for a rape crisis center. Focusing on the emotional growth hotline counselors experience while giving support to survivors of sexual assault. Various members within one local rape crisis center have been interviewed about their experiences and the process they go through becoming a hotline counselor. The purpose of this study is to raise awareness and illuminate the truth behind providing advocacy and the intensity of their experience of working with rape victims. By dissolving the myths surrounding victims of rape and the necessity for organizations such as S.A.V.A. (Sexual Assault Victim Advocates) to assist victims of crime with the informational and emotional support they need to cope with the trauma of being sexually assaulted. ways in which they learn and practice the skills they acquire through experience and through interacting with other volunteers and callers on the hotline. How counselors respond and react to these crisis situations is crucial to their emotional well-being and sense of balance. Utilizing the organization’s structured support groups and meetings are key to helping counselor’s cope with the after affects of repeated exposure to traumatized victims of sexual assault in crisis. Mandatory training for new counselors plays a pivotal role in their future success as a hotline counselor. Where counselors learn proper techniques for coping when exchanging emotions with survivors and yet still maintain an emotional balance. During training is where counselors become familiar with the many emotion management Leslie Fischman July 4, 2007 strategies needed to cope with mentally and emotionally stressful events and crisis situations. Boundary Maintenance is one of the greatest challenges a counselor faces, to find a healthy balance between developing an emotional closeness to the caller and at the same time maintain their ability to distance themselves emotionally. An inability to effectively maintain boundaries can lead to unhealthy consequences. Thus, affecting the counselor’s emotional well-being and the longevity of their commitment to the organization. Rape crisis counselors’ exposure to violence and stories of trauma and victimization on an ongoing basis, can leave the counselor feeling caught up and overwhelmed. Listening and feeling the pain of others is unavoidable at times and counselor’s may suffer emotionally in response to their interaction with callers on the hotline. Subsequently, counselors may endure symptoms of vicarious trauma and feel similarly to the ways survivor’s respond to their traumatizing experiences. Many try but are unable to commit to their role as a rape crisis hotline counselor for this very reason. Speaking to victim’s of sexual assault can trigger an array of unwanted feelings that some counselor’s may find difficult coping with. Therefore another focus of my research will be discovering the motivations behind those who stay and how they do it. Particularly what they learn about themselves in the process and how they come to identify themselves after integrating themselves within the organization. Illustrating how being apart of this kind of work requires more than a willingness and “heartfelt commitment” to help others cope with violence, and how to avoid the potential of “burnout” (manual, 16) on the job. S.A.V.A (Sexual Assault Victim Advocates) offers a series of techniques, which can be used to manage stress on the job: debriefing, natural support systems, boundaries, laughing often, mini-breaks, supervision, rest and relaxation, visualization, meditation, cognitive restructuring, nutrition and exercise, and time management. All of which play a vital role in maintaining emotional strength and balance, “to go the distance and fulfill the time-commitment to the rape crisis center” (manual, 19). As the manual states: “counselors can only be fully successful if they learn and integrate the lifelong practice of renewing inner sources.” As a volunteer and victim advocate myself, I felt compelled to develop a better understanding of what we do, how we do it, and what many of the counselors and I have learned about ourselves in the process. Specifically the challenges organization’s such as S.A.V.A face and their reliance and dependence on volunteers, government funds, and private donors, to sustain the services they provide to survivors of sexual assault. In particular the stress managed by the administration and directors of the program to keep it functioning and maintain its standards and ability to follow-up and follow-thru with callers, manage cases in accordance with laws and regulations, while at the same time upholding confidentiality agreements. I will discuss the framework behind S.A.S.A’s non-profit organization, specially how its administration manages the work cut out for them in their fight against violence. I will illustrate how the skills counselors learn through training are mirrored throughout their interaction amongst themselves and with those outside the organization. "Organizational Efforts need to be made to insight change that can provide more services and support to hotline counselors serving victims. Additionally, necessary adjustments need to be made, not only to the care provided to their clients, but also to the level of support given to their volunteers and co-workers. I have already begun to see changes within S.A.S.A as an organization, through[out] my study during a group meeting they introduced a couple trauma therapist who provide counseling to hotline counselors, which shows that changes have already started and this problem has been addressed by at least S.A.S.A.’s organizational leaders." (NEEDS REVIEW TO CHECK FOR TAMPERING]
-- This was my ONLY archived draft of this piece saved and NOW tampered with and deleted sometime TODAY, when it was uploaded to my computer, I know this piece was longer because it was an alternate conclusion I wrote, I wrote a couple different versions, and then excluded portions, that was what I went over with my LSAT tutor Lisa from Princeton Review, Fall 2007, I lived in Los Angeles, so I only touched base with her in time to grammar check my Conclusion. I wrote my paper ALL BY MYSELF, and we are required to have a committee to review our writing, and tell us what needs more work, help us through the development of our thesis, putting the research and the writing together, BY REQUIRING ASSIGNMENTS SUCH AS THESIS OUTLINES AND PROSPECTUS ETC. AND WE WRITE THE ABSTRACT AT THE END. |
AuthorLeslie A. Fischman Archives
March 2015
Categories |