MCN Webinar – Coping With Overexposure to Trauma

Clinicians are overexposed to traumatic situations and stories of trauma. This distress may result from the stories they are told by patients or interactions they observe directly. Providers may also experience distress when interacting with those who set and administer the policies (e.g., insurers, legislatures) that affect the people they serve. The pandemic has amplified the conditions that produce distress in both patients and providers. Providers may also have their own challenging histories. Current situations may activate providers’ memories of difficult personal experiences, making it harder to cope with contemporary stress. This seminar provides a framework for conceptualizing causes of provider distress; discusses strategies for building provider resilience; and identifies “reasonable hope” as a source of inspiration in the current context of clinical care.