2013
In this 19 minute talk, Laura van Dernoot Lipsky, founder and director of the Trauma Stewardship Institute and author of Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others, offers a window into the cumulative toll that can occur when exposed to the suffering, hardship, crisis or trauma of humans, other living beings, or the planet itself. Held within a larger context of systematic oppression and liberation theory, she dives into what gets hard and how to work toward reconciling it both individually and collectively.
This short webcast details the differences between compassion fatigue, secondary PTSD, burn out, and caregiver burden. This resource is free, though the organization also offers a DVD available for purchase that further discusses compassion fatigue, preventing it and treating it.
2016
Caregivers and emergency responders are empathetic individuals who risk suffering from Compassion Fatigue, a form of PTSD that is treatable using the steps described in Amy Cunningham’s 12 minute presentation.
2017
In this 17 minute talk, Patricia Smith, founder of the Compassion Fatigue Awareness Project, suggests the path to wellness begins with awareness, and recommends simple self-care measures such as regular exercise, healthy eating habits, enjoyable social activities, journaling, and restful sleep. With support, insightful information, and authentic self-care, caregivers can begin to understand the complexity of the emotions they’ve been juggling and, most likely, suppressing.