Resource Review: Trauma Stewardship
Trauma Stewardship: an everyday guide to caring for self, while caring for others is a book written by Laura Van Deroot Lipsky.
Van Deroot Lipsky writes from the perspective of a social services professional with experience and involvement in multiple forms of crisis care. After working with, and supporting other professionals, experiencing the symptoms of secondary trauma, exposure, burnout, and job-related, emotional challenges, Van Deroot Lipsky wrote this book as a guide, to support other professionals in engaging in the work of trauma from a place of health, wellness, and healing.
Because of the great need identified for the support of professionals with high trauma exposure, Van Deroot Lipsky has founded a trauma stewardship foundation and supports a trauma stewardship institute for the ongoing care, research, and support of professionals with high trauma exposure.
Pros:
This book is broken down into several user-friendly sections, starting with identifying and understanding the impacts of trauma exposure on professionals, a self-evaluation for personal emotional impacts, and multiple steps to a dynamic and long-term recovery process to maintain health and wellness, while engaging in high trauma exposure work.
The author utilizes multiple personal examples from individuals in a variety of service fields, as a way of personalizing, and applying the discussed principles to real-life examples.
The author does discuss many practical tips, and practices for reducing the impact of trauma exposure and maintaining emotional health in high trauma, exposure. Professions, many of which could be applied in a rather short time.
Cons:
One of the challenges that the reader will find in this book is that the prevalence of trauma exposure, and the presence of professional systems that exacerbate trauma-related issues, are prevalent, deep, and pervasive. The reader will begin to truly understand the broken mechanisms within the systems that we work with that continue to perpetuate the unhealthy and emotionally unsafe working conditions of many professionals. While the author pushes to create a perspective of them in power meant in her discussions, the depth of the problem may feel overwhelming and defeating to those who are currently working within some of the unhealthy systems identified.
Just as the greater systems at play are challenged and identified, much of the personal work identified as a necessary component of healthy management of trauma truly is a long-term and lifestyle-type change.
Some of the practical steps for long-term management and stewardship of trauma for those pursuing careers in higher trauma professions do include levels of spirituality, which some may find very inspiring and helpful, and others may find challenging, depending upon their comfortability with spiritual practice.
For individuals hoping to promote self-growth and for therapists and other professionals:
And many of our previous resource reviews, we have separated the feedback for individuals, helping to promote self-growth, and for reviewing the resource as a tool for therapists and professionals; however, it seems appropriate to speak to both parties here. One of the main messages of this book is that, professionals, therapists, caseworkers, social workers, and other professionals involved in crisis, intervention, and high trauma exposure positions are in need of care and self-growth. Much more, the message that many who enter the fields described above, do self from a place of personal trauma and desire for restoration or better in their communities is highlighted.
As an overall resource, for those who are working in high trauma exposure, professions, this book does a thorough job of evaluating the personal impacts of trauma exposure, the signs and symptoms, and some practical and systemic ways to address the issues identified.
Final thoughts:
As is the pervasive message in this book, the need for comprehensive, consistent, and improved support for individuals in social services professions is significant, and the answers to how the problem could, and should be fixed is complex. As a result, this book provides a great starting point for understanding, and a comprehensive evaluation of the problems, faced by individuals who work in high-trauma fields; however, it is simply a beginning point for the long-term work of health and wellness and systemic support for those shoes these professions.
Are you interested in reading Trauma Stewardship: An everyday guide to caring for self, while caring for others? Click here for purchase options.
(Links are included for convenience to readers. No benefit or compensation is received by Salyer Counseling Group)
If you are interested in managing your own trauma or the trauma that you are exposed to through your profession in a healthier way, let a member of our team help. We employ highly trained trauma therapists with specialized training in EMDR therapy, DBT therapy and more. Whether through our online therapy services or in person at our Arlington, TX based therapy group, we would love to connect with you and support your journey to mental health and wellness.
