The Secondary Trauma of Fostering
Many carers who have experienced feelings of fatigue and overwhelm may have heard the terms compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma or secondary trauma used as a way of navigating what they are thinking and feeling at a particular time. These terms can often be used interchangeably as some of the dynamics of each, are shared between them.
The secondary trauma of fostering relates to the impact of repeated exposure to hearing about, witnessing or responding to the trauma experienced by children in their care. Whilst carers may not have experienced the actual events, the persistent exposure to:
a child/young person’s emotions such as dysregulation, sadness, fear, grief;
disclosures relating to neglect and abuse; and,
associated trauma responses/behaviours, can activate their own stress response and have a significant impact on their own wellbeing.
Over time, carers can absorb some of the emotional impact and may too experience feelings of sadness, anger, helplessness, guilt or even an increased sense of ‘empathy overload’. These might manifest in different ways, like changes in mood, sleep, concentration, increased hypervigilance and may even impact relationships, parenting and other aspects of daily life. At times, it may even change how you see yourself, relationships and the world around you.
The often unpredictable nature of fostering, alongside systemic demands, uncertainty and grief/losses, as well as a carers personal history/triggers, can often compound Secondary Trauma.
Secondary Trauma can not only affect a carers wellbeing but overall capacity to provide care, particularly where it feels there are limited formal supports to reflect and/or debrief. Carers may benefit from recognising early signs of this and seek regular supervision, counselling or peer support. We recognise carers are at times ambivalent about this level of transparency within the system, for fear of being misunderstood and perceived as ‘not coping’.
In recognition of this, giving priority to one’s own personal self-maintenance is essential in mitigating the impacts of Secondary Trauma and may include:
maintaining healthy boundaries where possible;
taking time for rest and restorative activities outside of fostering;
having a strong support network.
Importantly, recognition that seeking support is not a sign of weakness, or an inability to care for a child/ren, is essential. Rather it is an opportunity to look after our own wellbeing, as well as help carers to remain resilient and better able to provide stable, responsive and nurturing care. The goal is to not become ‘less caring’ or ‘less invested’ but to ensure you are not carrying the child/young person’s trauma alone. Recognising the value of providing consistency and connection without being responsible for ‘undoing’ everything that’s happened to them is critical.
If you think it would be beneficial to explore the impact of your caring role on you, CAP delivers confidential therapeutic support, focussed on supporting carer wellbeing.
Appointments for the CAP service are available Monday to Friday (excluding Wednesdays) from 9am to 5pm.
If CAP sounds right for you, fill out the referral form to be contacted directly by the CAP team to arrange an appointment. If you require assistance completing the referral form, please call us on 03 9416 4292.
