Working to support the wellbeing of others can be immensely rewarding, and a real motivator for why we work in the health sector. But over time, exposure to the suffering of others - particularly those in mental distress and at the risk of suicide - can impact our own wellbeing and how we feel, including experiencing vicarious trauma.
In 2025, NHS Sussex developed training that looks at the different ways we can keep ourselves and our colleagues safe. The training provides an overview of vicarious trauma and is made up of three complimentary sections, looking at different aspects of personal resilience, workplace wellbeing and reflective practice.
In this podcast, Lucy Tucknott and Molly Booth discuss the impact of reflective practice to reduce the harms of vicarious trauma and break down different models of reflective practice, as well as some barriers that may occur. They explore how developing a deep sense of awareness can help us care for ourselves, whilst we're also caring for others.
Learning objectives
By the end of this podcast, you should be able to:
- recognise how you might be exposed to vicarious trauma, and its impact on your wellbeing
- identify what reflective practice is, and the different models that are available
- make the distinction between reflective practice and clinical supervision
- recognise how to build emotional safety within a group reflective practice session.
Availability
This podcast is available as part of a CPD eLearning subscription.
