Vicarious Post-Traumatic Growth: Domestic Violence Therapists Versus Social Service Department Therapists in Israel

In recent years, there has been growing interest in the implications of treating victims of trauma for therapists. The concept of vicarious post-traumatic growth (VPTG) relates to the positive implications of treating trauma victims. This study compared VPTG among 143 domestic violence therapists versus 71 therapists working at social service departments in Israel. In addition, an attempt was made to identify background characteristics and personal factors as well as environmental factors that contribute to VPTG, with emphasis on the contribution of secondary traumatization. The findings revealed that VPTG was slightly above a moderate level. Among the therapists working at social service departments, VPTG was higher. Moreover, secondary traumatization contributed significantly to VPTG as a linear variable and as a curvilinear variable.