Burnout, Vicarious Trauma and Self- and Community Care

Topic(s):

Anti-Oppressive Practice

National Social Work Month

Professional Practice

Webinar event date:

Mar 25, 2025 12:00 pm EDT

Webinar link

Webinar link is for members only. Please log in.

Webinar Presenters:

Farzana Doctor, MSW, RSW

Farzana Doctor is a Tkaronto-based author, activist and psychotherapist. Since 1993, Farzana has worked as a social worker at community based agencies, a mental health hospital and in private practice. She provides clinical consultation to other service providers also teaches and writes on themes of equity, gender-based violence and burnout. She has written five critically acclaimed novels and a poetry collection. Her workbook for activists and helpers, 52 Weeks To A Sweeter Life, was released this past year.

Description

Social work practice can be exhausting and burnout and vicarious trauma are common in our sector. Much of the problem is systemic – underfunding in social and health services, oppression, global crises. So what can we do?

In this session, activist, social worker, and author Farzana Doctor will present practical ideas on how to reduce burnout and vicarious trauma, and make self- and community care easier for us to practice so that our work can be more joyful and sustainable.

Webinar Key Objectives:

To help participants better understand burnout and vicarious trauma through a structural lens.
To help participants learn about three quick strategies for reducing burnout and vicarious trauma.
To help participants reflect on systemic and individual barriers to self and community care.