Somatic Resilience: Nervous System Tools for Preventing Vicarious Trauma in Helping Professionals

Helping professionals are routinely exposed to the emotional weight of others’ trauma, placing them at increased risk for burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma. Without practical regulation strategies, this chronic exposure can impact clinical effectiveness, emotional stability, and long-term career sustainability. This training provides clinicians with actionable, body-based tools to regulate their nervous systems before, during, and after client interactions. Participants will learn how repeated exposure to trauma affects physiological responses and how to interrupt these patterns using simple somatic techniques. Attendees will leave able to recognize early warning signs of dysregulation in themselves and apply immediate interventions to maintain presence, improve client engagement, and reduce emotional exhaustion. This session is especially relevant for clinicians seeking practical, in-the-moment tools to support both client care and their own resilience in high-demand environments.

Learning Objectives:

Participants will be able to:

• Assess the signs and symptoms of vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and burnout in clinical practice;
• Analyze the impact of repeated trauma exposure on nervous system functioning and clinical presence;
• Apply at least three somatic regulation techniques to support nervous system stabilization during and after client interactions.

Presenters:

Tina Harris

Tina Harris is a trainer and speaker specializing in somatic resilience and nervous system regulation. She works with helping professionals, including through her work with the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE), to manage stress and prevent burnout through practical, body-based tools.