For this Application Assignment you take the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL 5), a brief assessment instrument developed to promote self-awareness of vicarious trauma. It measures compassion satisfaction, which is the pleasure you derive from your profession, risks for burnout, and your exposure to extremely stressful events. Together, these three components help determine your risk for developing vicarious trauma and the impact of controlled empathy.
As you score the ProQOL 5, think about whether the results surprise you. What areas do you need to focus on to exercise strategies to prevent the development or further exacerbation of vicarious trauma?
Reference: Izzo, E. & Carpel Miller, V. (2009). Vicarious Trauma: The Impact of Empathy. Retrieved from http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Vicarious_Trauma_The_Impact_of_Controlled_Empathy.html
The assignment: (2–3 pages)
- Describe your results of the ProQOL 5.
- Describe two areas you need to further develop to address or prevent vicarious trauma and explain why you selected each.
- Based upon the current literature, justify two strategies you would use to develop those areas.
- Explain how your use of controlled empathy might influence the development of vicarious trauma and how this might impact the counseling process.
- Be specific and use examples to illustrate your points.
Support your Application Assignment with specific references to all resources used in its preparation. You are asked to provide a reference list only for those resources not included in the Learning Resources for this course.