Virtual Webinar In-Person On-Demand

Addressing Secondary Traumatic Stress in Animal Care Work: Room A

Presented by Angie Arora, MSW, RSW
1.0 CE Hours , 0.0 On-Demand Clinical
Addressing Secondary Traumatic Stress in Animal Care Work: Room A

Information

Recorded

  • -

Location

Learning Objectives

Participants will be able to:

  • Define secondary traumatic stress, what causes it.

  • Identify at least 3 ways secondary traumatic stress impacts individuals, teams, or an organization.

  • Explain the importance of nervous system health as a way of managing exposure to trauma.

  • Identify 3 ways to embed team debriefing into animal welfare organizations.

Educational Goal

The educational goal of this workshop is to introduce participants to the causes and impacts of secondary traumatic stress on animal care professionals, and methods to address it to improve professional wellbeing. 

Description

Professionals working in animal care are in the unique position of being exposed to the stress and trauma of two primary groups – animals and the humans that are connected to them.  This means that there is a double exposure to secondary traumatic stress. Charles Figley describes secondary traumatic stress, also referred to as vicarious trauma, as “the natural consequent behaviors resulting from knowledge about a traumatizing event experienced by a significant other … the stress resulting from helping or wanting to help a traumatized or suffering person.”  

 

Given the high degree of exposure to trauma in animal care work, this session will introduce participants to the concept of secondary traumatic stress including its causes and impacts on practitioners, teams, and organizations. 

 

While exposure to secondary traumatic stress cannot always be avoided, a lack of tools to process such exposure when coupled with burnout, can lead to compassion fatigue. This session will introduce two methods to address secondary traumatic stress: nervous system health and team debriefing. Participants will engage in a real-debriefing session to embody its benefits, followed by guided discussions on ways to foster improved nervous system health and debriefing in animal care organizations.

Target Audience

  • Counselor
  • Marriage & Family Therapist
  • Psychologist
  • Social Worker
  • Veterinarian

Presenters

Angie Arora, MSW, RSW

Angie Arora, founder of Arora Wellness, is a Social Worker supporting the human needs that arise from human-animal relationships, specializing in veterinary mental health & wellbeing, pet loss, and equity issues. As a certified Compassion Fatigue Specialist and Veterinary Social Worker, Angie provides trauma-informed therapeutic coaching, training and organizational support to help animal-care providers foster self and community connection so they can reconnect to themselves and their work in new and improved ways. 

 

Angie teaches at Seneca College where she facilitates a course on acute self-care for veterinary professionals and is actively involved in relevant veterinary medicine initiatives with organizations including blendvet, the Canadian Collective for Equity in Veterinary Medicine, the Toronto Zoo, and veterinary hospitals. She speaks at conferences around the world advocating for trauma-informed responses to foster deeper wellbeing across the profession.

 

She completed her Bachelor of Social Work with the Toronto Metropolitan University, Master of Social Work with York University and is deeply committed to her personal and professional growth. She is certified in Emotional CPR with the National Empowerment Centre, completed her Compassion Fatigue Specialist certification with the Traumatology Institute and completed her International Coaching Federation training with the Mind Rebel Academy.

Financially Sponsored By

  • International Association of Veterinary Social Work