When working in the criminal justice field, we understand that the people we are working with have more than likely experienced some type of trauma in their lives at some point. It could be from an array of possibilities; abuse from parents, abuse from a partner, witnessing the death of a loved one, sexual abuse at any age at any time, psychological abuse from people they care about, etc. but what tends to be forgotten is the professionals in the field experience trauma too. Though it\u2019s more understandable that first responders are exposed to traumatic experiences more than others, there\u2019s still a level of trauma that the professionals behind the desk face as well. It\u2019s not commonly discussed in mainstream media how those who work in the courthouse or treatment agency or attorney\u2019s office are constantly exposed to secondhand trauma working with the people in this field. There\u2019s a bit of a stigma around those kinds of professionals because we don\u2019t see the trauma first hand like a police officer would, however, we do work with the aftermath which in a lot of cases weighs on a person heavily.<\/p>\n
In my personal experience working as a probation officer, I typically work with individuals after they\u2019ve been in custody or done a type of inpatient treatment and end up in front of me properly medicated, sober from illicit drugs or alcohol, better cognitive thinking patterns, and have an understanding of the requirements a head of them. That being said, I don\u2019t see the person at the worst moment of their life when they\u2019re under the influence of drugs and\/or alcohol or having a psychotic episode due to self-medicating and not being stabilized which is a much calmer experiences. However, I do work with the individual for a continuous amount of time and in that time, I see them through their hardest times. This can range from dealing with trauma sober for the first time and not knowing how to navigate the emotions they\u2019re feeling to relapse episodes and even new criminal charges. It\u2019s in those instances where the secondhand trauma weighs on us because it\u2019s not just a crime scene or an interaction at their lowest point, it\u2019s helping them navigate a new way of life that scares them and that they don\u2019t fully understand.<\/p>\n
While reading The Body Keeps the Score <\/em>by Van der Kolk, it was interesting to read about his take on trauma and ways to work through traumatic experiences, but I always wondered how he handled working with so many people who have experienced traumatic situations. His section on different treatment types to help with trauma was interesting and gave insight on different types of treatment that someone can do to work through their trauma; an example that comes to mind is the one woman he talked about who was held captive for several days and violated, and his treatment recommendation was to get massages to help physically release the tension in her body. (Van der Kolk, 2014). This treatment was specific to her, yes, but I think this could be a valid treatment for professionals who whole tension and stress from the workplace and use it as a way of self-care for themselves.<\/p>\n We discuss about different treatment options for the people we work with in the field, but there\u2019s a concern that because we are professionals, we shouldn\u2019t need our own supports because we should be \u201cabove\u201d the person we are working with when that\u2019s not the case. In some modules throughout the quarter, there\u2019s discussions of different types of treatment, specifically for the person we are working with, but what I don\u2019t believe get\u2019s taken into consideration is how these treatments can be effective for professionals too. Exposure therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, pharmacotherapy, these could and should be treatment options for the professionals as well. We are just as human as the humans we are working with. Though cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is typically geared towards those in the criminal justice system, there are benefits of that kind of therapy for the professionals as well. Under the subsection of CBT it states \u201cusing an educational model, CBT helps clients unlearn their negative reactions to thoughts and replace them with new emotional and behavioral responses in situations they find challenging. By setting short-term goals and breaking down overwhelming thoughts and situations into manageable sections, therapists can challenge their clients to adjust their thinking.\u201d (Rousseau, 2026). When thinking about it, don\u2019t probation officers, attorney\u2019s judges have negative reactions to hearing that \u201cso and so\u201d is back in jail again for a new offense? Don\u2019t we struggle with challenging possible judgmental thoughts that we have a negative reaction too? Isn\u2019t it overwhelming to have a caseload of people and trying to make sure you\u2019ve done everything you\u2019re supposed to? Don\u2019t we struggle as professionals to organize our tasks and thoughts and judgment to an overwhelming degree? Do our clients get subpar care because we are burnt out, overworked and we are just trying to get through the basic day? These are just a few ways to look at that statement and redirect it towards ourselves and how we could benefit from some extra support, even though we \u201conly work at the desk\u201d.<\/p>\n Working with people isn\u2019t easy in any capacity, but especially those who work in the criminal justice field, a major topic that should always be discussed is how do we take care of ourselves so we can better help those who need us.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Rousseau, D. (2026). Module 4 \u2013 Pathways to Recovery: Understanding approaches to Trauma Treatment.<\/em> Blackboard Ultra. Boston University.<\/p>\n Van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma.<\/em> Viking. Van Slyke, S. R., Benson, M. L., & Cullen, F. T. (eds.). (2016). The Oxford.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When working in the criminal justice field, we understand that the people we are working with have more than likely experienced some type of trauma in their lives at some point. 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