Lawyers and Vicarious Trauma – ISHHR – International Society for Health and Human Rights

[vc_row force_equal_height_columns=”off”][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1490668286700{padding-left: 4% !important;}”][ultimate_spacer height=”20″ height_on_tabs=”10″][ultimate_heading heading_type=”customizable” main_heading_default_weight=”400″ subheading_type=”customizable” sub_heading_default_style=”italic” sub_heading_default_weight=”400″ sub_heading_color=”#bcbcbc” alignment=”left” sub_heading_font_size=”22″]Conference[/ultimate_heading][ultimate_heading heading_type=”customizable” heading_content=”Lawyers and Vicarious Trauma” heading_typography_type=”google_fonts” main_heading_color=”#34455a” main_heading_line_height=”44″ subheading_type=”customizable” alignment=”left” main_heading_font_family=”font_family:Merriweather|font_call:Merriweather” main_heading_font_size=”34″ main_heading_typograpy=”” margin_design_tab_text=””][/ultimate_heading][ultimate_spacer height=”20″ height_on_tabs=”20″ height_on_mob=”20″][ultimate_heading heading_type=”customizable” heading_content=”Anne Mainsbridge” main_heading_default_weight=”400″ main_heading_color=”#303030″ subheading_type=”customizable” sub_heading_default_weight=”400″ sub_heading_color=”#bcbcbc” alignment=”left” spacer=”line_only” spacer_position=”bottom” line_height=”2″ line_color=”#34455a” main_heading_font_size=”30″ sub_heading_font_size=”22″ line_width=”300″ spacer_margin=”margin-top:40px;margin-bottom:40px;” main_heading_typograpy=”” margin_design_tab_text=”” sub_heading_typograpy=””]NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS)
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Legal assistance is vital for asylum seekers who are seeking protection. But what are the potential impacts on lawyers of exposure to traumatic testimonies?

This paper examines the evidence for vicarious trauma in refugee lawyers. It also outlines a model of trauma informed legal practice to help lawyers engage effectively with asylum seeker clients while also protecting themselves against the risks of vicarious trauma.

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Many refugee lawyers are at risk of vicarious trauma because of the nature of the work that they do and the traumatic material to which they are exposed.
Self care, access to free clinical supervision in the context of a trauma informed legal practice model implemented at the organisational level are some of the measures that will help to support refugee lawyers in their vital work.

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The concept of lawyers being subject to vicarious trauma was not something many people had considered previously.

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I would like to do research further exploring the prevalence of vicarious trauma amongst refugee lawyers and the impact it has on their well being and their work practices.

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Lawyers are often portrayed unsympathetically by the media. It is important that they be seen as human beings who may be deeply affected by the traumatic client testimony they are witness to in preparing asylum claims.