Law Practice
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.
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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