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Aug. 29, 2025

Vicarious trauma in the legal profession: Understanding the cost of caring

Lawyers who handle trauma cases can absorb their clients' pain, risking vicarious trauma--emotional, physical, and mental burnout--making self-care essential to stay effective.

Cristina Garcia

Trial Attorney
Dolan Law Firm, PC

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Vicarious trauma in the legal profession: Understanding the cost of caring
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Imagine sitting across the table from a survivor of sexual abuse. She begins to describe the graphic details of the sexual abuse she endured at the hands of a schoolteacher. She recounts how she said "no" multiple times, but despite her pleas, he proceeded to have sexual intercourse with her. She describes how she finally "gave up" and lay there, numb, waiting for him to finish. She is only 15 years old and struggling to process what occurred to her. To make matters worse, si...

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