Reducing Compassion Fatigue, Secondary Traumatic Stress, and Burnout

William Steele, PsyD, MSW, is the founder of the National Institute for Trauma and Loss in Children (TLC), established in 1990 and a program of the Starr Global Learning Network since 2009. Dr. Steele has developed trauma-specific, evidence-based interventions programs and resources for practitioners currently being used in 55 countries.

"With its activities, resources, and opportunities for self-reflection, this workbook is an essential resource and fills a huge gap in the field of trauma. We are only beginning to understand that addressing compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress, and burnout is not supplemental but central to creating trauma-informed agencies and systems. This workbook should be on the bookshelf of anyone doing this work!" — Lisa Conradi, PsyD, president/founder of Conradi Consulting, LLC, and former director of clinical operations at the Chadwick Center, one of the largest trauma treatment centers in the U.S. "This book features a wealth of information, including many neuro-based strategies to help the helper heal from compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress, and burnout. A great companion text for workshops geared towards assisting those who work with traumatized populations to reduce inevitable work-related stress and improve their resilience." — Vidette Todaro-Franceschi, PhD, RN, FT, professor of nursing at the CUNY College of Staten Island and the Graduate Center at the City University New York and author of Compassion Fatigue and Burnout in Nursing: Enhancing Professional Quality of Life"Compassionate care is the greatest gift that we can give to our community members who are facing a challenge, but it can come at a cost. Dr. Steele has given us a gift with this publication. It dives deeply into evidence-based solutions with excellent exercises and self-check assessment tools that help us understand how best to stay healthy and resilient in this most worthy field of caregiving." — Syd Gravel and Brad McKay, retired Canadian police staff sergeants with distinction; currently senior police advisors with Badge of Life Canada and coauthors of Walk the Talk: First Responder Peer Support—A Boots-on-the-Ground Peer and Trauma Support Systems"This is an engaging journey in self-care for the clinician and caregiver." — Jessica Hackenberg, PsyD, psychotherapy coordinator for the VA’s Northern Indiana Health Care System and assistant adjunct professor at University of Notre Dame"In this work Dr. Steele invites us into a much deeper experience than understanding compassion fatigue and secondary traumatic stress. He invites us into the practice of healing and walks us through this process every step of the way. Every servant of traumatized people will benefit from the ‘sessions’ in this book and the transformative experience waiting to be had." — Jules Alvarado, MA, LPC, international organizational wellness consultant, founder and senior clinical consultant with Alvarado Consulting and Treatment Group, and a foster parent the past 25 years"This engaging, comprehensive, and cleverly designed workbook is a much-needed addition to the self-care literature. Thoughtful narratives within sessions are accented with a range of useful tools to nurture reflection, self-care, and personal development. This is a helpful resource with which to check in with and look after ourselves and one another." — Sarah Parry, PhD, clinical psychologist and senior clinical lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University in England

• 1. You Are Not Alone 2. Stress From a Different Perspective: Part One - It’s Subjective-It’s a Reaction 3. Stress From A Different Perspective: Part Two – Mindsets Matter 4. Tough Conversations, Well-being, Engagement 5. Trauma-Informed Organizations, Leadership, STS and Supervision 6. Assessment 7. Putting It All Together Appendices 1. Assessments 2. Symptom Checklist 3. Worksheets 4. Reflective Questions 5. Additional Well-being/Self-Care Strategies 6. Suggested Websites and YouTube Segments 7. Hot Walk Talk Protocol