An exploration of secondary traumatic stress in therapeutic professionals working with persons who sexually offend

Abstract

Therapeutic professionals working with persons who sexually offend (PSO) may experience Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS) encompassing of changes in behaviours, emotions, interactions, cognitions, spirituality and biology, that result from their direct work with individuals who share trauma content. Thus, this study aimed to highlight these challenges and promote the therapeutic professionals’ well-being, ultimately improving client outcomes in therapeutic spaces. Additionally, it sought to provide insights for counselling supervisors and therapists in supporting these professionals. Five semi-structured interviews were conducted with therapeutic professionals from different therapeutic fields, using purposive sampling. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was employed to explore and analyse participants' unique experiences in depth. Findings showed that participants experienced negative emotions towards PSO clients who minimised or denied their actions. These emotions towards PSO were intensified when simultaneously working with both victims and PSO, highlighting the participants’ need to explore the pros and cons of their dual roles. Participants also expressed feelings of vulnerability and a desire for control in response to power dynamics exhibited by PSO. Effective emotion regulation, along with supervision on countertransference and power dynamics, emerged as essential strategies to address these challenges. STS effects spilled into their personal lives, leading to controlling parenting styles and hypervigilance. Malta's small size raised fears of personal information being traced for retaliation, and public encounters with PSO blurred professional and personal boundaries, making it difficult to detach from work. Protective factors identified in this study's recommendations included seeking support from their families, personal therapists, supervisors, and workplaces that ensure safety policies and procedures. Conversely, participants faced risk factors stemming from the lack of recognition and collaboration within the criminal justice system and among stakeholders. This highlights the importance of stakeholder training to reduce stigma on PSO and the work of therapeutic professionals, and to promote collaboration among service providers. Ultimately, therapeutic professionals must take a proactive approach in learning about and effectively managing STS to ensure a positive personal well-being and effective therapeutic outcomes.