Tip: click a paragraph to jump to the exact moment in the video. How Witnessing a Trauma Can Traumatize YOU (Vicarious Traumatization and Moral Injury)

1. 00:02 Sometimes witnessing a traumatic or traumatizing event can be as traumatic as experiencing the event firsthand. There is a name for that in clinical psychology. It’s called vicarious traumatization. You see, witnessing abuse, torture, and crime shatters our belief in a just, orderly and structured universe. It is deeply unsettling because it challenges our sense of safety. The primordial early childhood secure bays. In a way, witnessing traumatic events is a moral calamity. It undermines our Sometimes witnessing a traumatic or traumatizing event can be as traumatic as experiencing the event firsthand. There is a name for that in clinical psychology. It’s called vicarious traumatization. You see, witnessing abuse, torture, and crime shatters our belief in a just, orderly and structured universe. It is deeply unsettling because it challenges our sense of safety. The primordial early childhood secure bays. In a way, witnessing traumatic events is a moral calamity. It undermines our
2. 00:56 perception of morality, just desserts, and the inevitability of punishment for wrongdoing. Vicarious traumatization is when you as a witness develop a trauma response to the traumatic experiences of other people or to the reactions of other people to their traumatic experiences. And this is pretty important because vicarious traumatization can spread like ripples in a pond among multiple people. You could have a whole collect collective vicariously traumatized. When people witness acts of terrorism, for example, natural perception of morality, just desserts, and the inevitability of punishment for wrongdoing. Vicarious traumatization is when you as a witness develop a trauma response to the traumatic experiences of other people or to the reactions of other people to their traumatic experiences. And this is pretty important because vicarious traumatization can spread like ripples in a pond among multiple people. You could have a whole collect collective vicariously traumatized. When people witness acts of terrorism, for example, natural
3. 01:44 disasters, massive accidents, they tend to develop a trauma response, however mild. And this is vicarious traumatization. My name is Sam Vatney and I’m the author of Malignant Self-Love, Narcissism Revisited, and a professor of psychology. I really hope that you’re not vicariously traumatized by just looking at my face. Okay, let’s head over to the American Psychological Association dictionary and read the definition for vicarious traumatization. The impact on a therapist of repeated disasters, massive accidents, they tend to develop a trauma response, however mild. And this is vicarious traumatization. My name is Sam Vatney and I’m the author of Malignant Self-Love, Narcissism Revisited, and a professor of psychology. I really hope that you’re not vicariously traumatized by just looking at my face. Okay, let’s head over to the American Psychological Association dictionary and read the definition for vicarious traumatization. The impact on a therapist of repeated
4. 02:24 emotionally intimate contact with trauma survivors. It is more than counter transference. Vicarious traumatization affects the therapist across clients and situation. So as you see vicarious traumatization started off as an observation of the impacts of the harrowing stories of patients and clients on therapists. It was limited to this class, this elevated class of superhumans known as psychotherapists. But today we know that vicarious traumatization is a common enough phenomenon. Anyone and everyone emotionally intimate contact with trauma survivors. It is more than counter transference. Vicarious traumatization affects the therapist across clients and situation. So as you see vicarious traumatization started off as an observation of the impacts of the harrowing stories of patients and clients on therapists. It was limited to this class, this elevated class of superhumans known as psychotherapists. But today we know that vicarious traumatization is a common enough phenomenon. Anyone and everyone
5. 03:05 can develop vicarious traumatization. It results in a change of one’s world view. Sense of justness and safety of the world. The more isolated the witness, the more over involved in the situation, the more likely the witness is to develop vicarious traumatization. Vicarious traumatization is also called secondary traumatization. And when it comes to therapists, the dictionary has this to say. It results in a change in the therapist’s own worldview and sense of justice and safety in the world. Therapist isolation can develop vicarious traumatization. It results in a change of one’s world view. Sense of justness and safety of the world. The more isolated the witness, the more over involved in the situation, the more likely the witness is to develop vicarious traumatization. Vicarious traumatization is also called secondary traumatization. And when it comes to therapists, the dictionary has this to say. It results in a change in the therapist’s own worldview and sense of justice and safety in the world. Therapist isolation
6. 03:44 and over involvement in trauma work can increase the risk of vicarious traumatization. Vicarious traumatization is the way we react to what is known as moral injury. Moral moral injury is the profound psychological, social and spiritual distress resulting from actions or inaction that transgress deeply held moral beliefs, mores, conventions, norms and expectations. Moral injury often involves intense guilt, for example, survival survivor guilt, shame, anger, and betrayal. Moral injury, therefore, is intimately and over involvement in trauma work can increase the risk of vicarious traumatization. Vicarious traumatization is the way we react to what is known as moral injury. Moral moral injury is the profound psychological, social and spiritual distress resulting from actions or inaction that transgress deeply held moral beliefs, mores, conventions, norms and expectations. Moral injury often involves intense guilt, for example, survival survivor guilt, shame, anger, and betrayal. Moral injury, therefore, is intimately
7. 04:29 associated with negative effects. Moral injury has been primarily studied in military and high stakes professions, for example, healthcare, police, law enforcement, and it stems from witnessing or having to perpetrate, being forced to perpetrate acts that contradict one’s moral code, one’s deeply held beliefs about what’s right and what’s wrong, and one’s general view of the world as just. a world in which justice prevails. The key symptoms of moral injury are intense emotional distress. Deep associated with negative effects. Moral injury has been primarily studied in military and high stakes professions, for example, healthcare, police, law enforcement, and it stems from witnessing or having to perpetrate, being forced to perpetrate acts that contradict one’s moral code, one’s deeply held beliefs about what’s right and what’s wrong, and one’s general view of the world as just. a world in which justice prevails. The key symptoms of moral injury are intense emotional distress. Deep
8. 05:09 feelings of shame, guilt, anger, disgust, and sadness. Cognitive distortions, beliefs that one is permanently damaged, immoral or worthless, that one somehow is guilty for what is happening. This is very common among younger people, especially children. behavioral changes ensue. Uh people isolate themselves socially. They avoid intimacy. They develop self-handicapping and self-defeating behaviors. And this leads to what uh some in the in the 1940s and 1950s called existential conflict. Profound feelings of shame, guilt, anger, disgust, and sadness. Cognitive distortions, beliefs that one is permanently damaged, immoral or worthless, that one somehow is guilty for what is happening. This is very common among younger people, especially children. behavioral changes ensue. Uh people isolate themselves socially. They avoid intimacy. They develop self-handicapping and self-defeating behaviors. And this leads to what uh some in the in the 1940s and 1950s called existential conflict. Profound
9. 05:49 loss of trust in oneself, in others, in authority, in life’s purpose, in society, in institutions, in everything. This all pervasive distrust leads people to lash out, to act out, to on the very contrary constrict their lives and isolate themselves to abuse substances. There’s a variety of um mal adaptations, a variety of bad wrong responses to moral injury. The causes of moral injury are intimate intimately connected to vicarious traumatization. Moral injury leads to vicarious traumatization because the individual loss of trust in oneself, in others, in authority, in life’s purpose, in society, in institutions, in everything. This all pervasive distrust leads people to lash out, to act out, to on the very contrary constrict their lives and isolate themselves to abuse substances. There’s a variety of um mal adaptations, a variety of bad wrong responses to moral injury. The causes of moral injury are intimate intimately connected to vicarious traumatization. Moral injury leads to vicarious traumatization because the individual
10. 06:33 witnesses or observes or gets involved against the individual’s will in acts of commission or omission. engaging in, failing to prevent, or witnessing acts of violence, death, severe suffering, especially unjustified suffering. There’s a sense of betrayal, feeling betrayed by leaders, institutions, peers in especially high stakes situations. And there is an ethical conflict, being forced to make impossible decisions in professional roles. For example, sold as soldiers, as policemen, as healthcare witnesses or observes or gets involved against the individual’s will in acts of commission or omission. engaging in, failing to prevent, or witnessing acts of violence, death, severe suffering, especially unjustified suffering. There’s a sense of betrayal, feeling betrayed by leaders, institutions, peers in especially high stakes situations. And there is an ethical conflict, being forced to make impossible decisions in professional roles. For example, sold as soldiers, as policemen, as healthcare
11. 07:10 workers. um you’re forced to make decisions that sometimes conflicts deeply with your um intimately held beliefs ethical and moral. All these lead to moral injury. Moral injury is typically used in situation where we witness injustice and this less leads in some cases to vicarious traumatization. So next time you’re a witness to some wrongdoing, some crime, some don’t stay mum, assume responsibility. Report it. Act on it. Action allays and defrays moral injury and prevents vicarious traumatization in or workers. um you’re forced to make decisions that sometimes conflicts deeply with your um intimately held beliefs ethical and moral. All these lead to moral injury. Moral injury is typically used in situation where we witness injustice and this less leads in some cases to vicarious traumatization. So next time you’re a witness to some wrongdoing, some crime, some don’t stay mum, assume responsibility. Report it. Act on it. Action allays and defrays moral injury and prevents vicarious traumatization in or
12. 07:59 retraumatization in the long run. It’s this time of year, May 2026. Yet another seminar and this time in Owit. Ohid is a world heritage site. It’s one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It is perched on a lake. It sports hundreds of exquisite churches. icons fort and amazing architecture. It is an undiscovered journey. And so in off we are going to hold our next seminar at the end of May 2026. The Baknin Rangelovska Foundation is organizing a free seminar, no entrance fee. The seminar is going to last 3 and retraumatization in the long run. It’s this time of year, May 2026. Yet another seminar and this time in Owit. Ohid is a world heritage site. It’s one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It is perched on a lake. It sports hundreds of exquisite churches. icons fort and amazing architecture. It is an undiscovered journey. And so in off we are going to hold our next seminar at the end of May 2026. The Baknin Rangelovska Foundation is organizing a free seminar, no entrance fee. The seminar is going to last 3 and
13. 08:57 1/2 days. There’s going to be an opening session followed by three full days of lectures. The topic is intriguing, suggested by Video Regala. The narcissist relationships with parents, day one, intimate partners, day two, and his or her children, day three. a progression from a disrupted relationship with the self to even more disrupted relationships with others. To reserve your free place right now, write to me at sambakin, that’s my name atgmail.com. sambakin@gmail.com. right to reserve your place because we 1/2 days. There’s going to be an opening session followed by three full days of lectures. The topic is intriguing, suggested by Video Regala. The narcissist relationships with parents, day one, intimate partners, day two, and his or her children, day three. a progression from a disrupted relationship with the self to even more disrupted relationships with others. To reserve your free place right now, write to me at sambakin, that’s my name atgmail.com. sambakin@gmail.com. right to reserve your place because we
14. 09:45 are going to rent or hire a venue based on your participation. Again, a free seminar 3 and a half days in the magnificent city of Oak at the end of May 2026 with what? What could go wrong? are going to rent or hire a venue based on your participation. Again, a free seminar 3 and a half days in the magnificent city of Oak at the end of May 2026 with what? What could go wrong?