Some work involves exposure to trauma – emergency response roles, healthcare settings, military service, or roles involving violence or crisis. If your work has exposed you to traumatic situations and you’re struggling with the psychological impact, trauma-informed support is important.
What Job-Related Trauma Includes
Job-related trauma exposure might include witnessing death or serious injury, responding to violence, exposure to human suffering, witnessing accidents, or other traumatic events that occur through work. This is different from workplace stress – it’s direct exposure to traumatic situations that can create lasting psychological impact. People in emergency response roles (police, paramedics, firefighters), healthcare workers, military personnel, and others in roles involving potential trauma exposure may develop post-traumatic stress symptoms, compassion fatigue, or vicarious trauma as a result of work exposure.
How Job-Related Trauma Might Affect You
After traumatic work exposure, you might experience intrusive memories, hyperarousal (feeling constantly on alert), avoidance of reminders, or changes in how you perceive safety and the world. You might have difficulty separating from work – thoughts and feelings about traumatic incidents continuing outside of work. Sleep might be disrupted. You might feel emotionally exhausted or disconnected – compassion fatigue. The impact might extend to relationships – difficulty connecting with family and friends, irritability, or withdrawal. Work performance might be affected even as you’re trying to continue working. You might feel shame about your reactions or doubt your fitness for your role. Job-related trauma is a serious psychological impact that deserves professional support.
Our Approach to Job-Related Trauma Support
Working with a psychologist at Growth Psychology, you’ll receive trauma-informed support specifically designed for work-related trauma exposure. We understand the specific impacts of job-related trauma and what it means to continue working in a role that has exposed you to trauma. We help you process traumatic experiences and reduce their hold on your daily life. We support you in managing hyperarousal and intrusive memories. We help you develop strategies to protect your wellbeing while continuing in your work. We work at your pace, never pushing faster than feels manageable. We recognise your strength and resilience in continuing to work despite trauma exposure, while also supporting you in healing. We work collaboratively with occupational health services or other support systems involved in your workplace when appropriate. Learn more about our therapeutic approaches.
When to Seek Support
If you’ve been exposed to trauma through your work and are struggling with the psychological impact – seeking support is important. Early support can help prevent the development of more chronic post-traumatic stress responses.
Ask about our Job Related Exposure to Trauma services.
If you’d like to explore how therapy might help, we’re here to talk through your needs.
Our practicitioners with a focus on Job Related Exposure to Trauma
Carolyn Alchin - Career Development Practitioner
Carolyn is an experienced career development practitioner and counsellor with a Masters of Education (Career Development). She enjoys enabling all populations to see, reach, and enhance their career potential. She has over 20 years’ practical experience in mentoring, recruitment, advising and counselling, teaching and education development.
Shelley Phillips is a registered Psychologist who offers a warm, caring, and evidence‑informed approach to supporting mental health and wellbeing. She draws on CBT, ACT, Positive Psychology, and strengths‑based practices to help clients explore challenges in life and work. Shelley also supports clients navigating job selection processes, career development, and workplace stress. She has experience working with emergency services personnel and has worked as a psychology lecturer, mentor, and supervisor.
Greg is an Endorsed Counselling Psychologist with more than thirty years of experience supporting people across a wide range of life challenges. He works collaboratively with clients to explore the impact of past experiences, strengthen emotional wellbeing, and navigate patterns that influence relationships and daily life. Greg uses evidence‑informed approaches tailored to each person’s needs. Greg has worked in counselling and psychotherapy private practice in metropolitan centres and remote rural areas, in schools, government organisations, emergency services, military veterans’ organisations and in industry. He has also worked as an academic, teacher and in management and specialist roles in the mining industry.
Beth is a registered Psychologist who supports adults across a range of wellbeing and mental health concerns, including anxiety, depression, stress, burnout, life transitions, and career‑related challenges. She draws on CBT, ACT, Schema‑informed strategies, and strengths‑based, person‑centred approaches. Beth also provides services under Queensland emergency services support programs and works in training, development, and career‑related support.
