Vicarious traumatisation in telephone counsellors : internal and external influences created by Jane Dunkley and Thomas A. Whelan

The present study investigated vicarious traumatisation among telephone counsellors. In particular, the influence of coping style, supervision, and personal trauma history on vicarious traumatisation was examined. A total of 62 telephone counsellors from trauma related fields completed a series of self-report measures. Generally, levels of traumatisation (i.e. PTSD symptoms and disruptions in beliefs) were low. Nonetheless, five (8.2%) participants had total scores indicating ‘high average’ to ‘very high’ levels of disruption in beliefs. Also, 15 (25.9%) respondents reported that they experienced at least one PTSD symptom. As expected, non-productive coping was related to disruptions in cognitive beliefs, while dealing with the problem was not. In addition, having a strong supervisory working alliance was associated with lower levels of disruption in beliefs. Contrary to expectations, there were no significant predictors of PTSD symptoms despite a positive correlation with personal trauma history. In conclusion, vicarious traumatisation is of concern for telephone counsellors. Efforts to address its impact should focus on developing effective coping styles and enhancing the quality of supervision.