VICARIOUS POSTTRAUMATIC GROWTH IN SOCIAL WORKERS: The Israeli Case

In recent years, recognition has been growing that therapists who work with trauma victims may experience, in addition to negative consequences, opportunities for growth, just as trauma victims do. Arnold, Calhoun, Tedeschi, and Cann (2005) posited that therapists undergo positive changes in the same areas as the trauma victims they are treating, and coined the term vicarious posttraumatic growth (VPTG). Although VPTG among therapists who treat trauma victims has been addressed, the current chapter focuses on literature regarding VPTG specifically among social workers as a unique group of professionals, especially in the Israeli cultural and political context. The chapter further discusses the role of supervision and training at academic institutions in facilitating VPTG.