Jenny Hughes Jenny Hughes

What is Vicarious Resilience in Trauma Therapy?

Most trauma therapists have heard the term vicarious trauma—but far fewer have been introduced to its powerful counterpart: vicarious resilience. In this post, I share the origin story of this concept and explore how we, as trauma therapists, can name, notice, and expand our own experiences of resilience through the work we do. If you’ve ever walked out of a session feeling changed in a good way—this is for you.

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Jenny Hughes Jenny Hughes

What is Vicarious Trauma?

Vicarious trauma is a normal part of being a trauma therapist — not a sign you’re doing it wrong. In this post, we unpack what it really is, how to recognize the early signs, and how to work with it before it spirals into burnout. If you’ve been feeling off, disconnected, or stretched thin, this is for you.

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Jenny Hughes Jenny Hughes

Why It’s So Hard for Trauma Therapists to Celebrate Wins and How to Start

You help your clients celebrate progress all the time. But your own wins? You skip past them like they don’t count. If pride feels unsafe or performative, this blog is for you. We’ll unpack where that shame comes from, introduce a nervous system-friendly practice for integration, and help you feel the good — without needing to earn it.





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Jenny Hughes Jenny Hughes

Nervous System-Safe Systems: A Trauma Therapist’s Guide to Sustainable Structure

If traditional systems feel like pressure, you’re not alone. This blog reframes “system-building” as a trauma-informed, nervous system-safe practice — not a productivity project. You’ll learn the three types of systems every therapist needs, how to build scaffolds that evolve with you, and why sustainable structure starts with rhythms you already have. Whether you’re in private practice or an agency, these tools are designed to support your capacity — not squeeze it.



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Jenny Hughes Jenny Hughes

Prioritizing Mental Health as Trauma Therapist: A Nervous System Perspective

Therapists are constantly told to prioritize their mental health — but rarely given the space or structure to do it. This post explores what sustainable care really looks like, how the Trauma Therapist Trauma Response Continuum can help you name your experience, and why slowing down isn’t weakness — it’s survival.



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Jenny Hughes Jenny Hughes

Mental Health Awareness Month Is for Trauma Therapists Too

Therapists talk about mental health all the time — but rarely our own.

This Mental Health Awareness Month, I’m sharing what it looks like to stop whispering about anxiety, depression, and vicarious trauma… and start naming them out loud.

Because being human doesn’t disqualify you from this work. It’s what makes you great at it.



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