Understanding Vicarious Trauma, Burnout, and Compassion Fatigue in High-Conflict Divorce

Abstract

Family court–involved professionals work regularly with individuals immersed in personal and family crisis stemming from litigation and the high-conflict divorce experience. Regardless of the professional role, lawyers, judges, mediators, and mental health providers encounter clients who present with trauma-based symptoms and who, in turn, likely put the professionals who work with them at an increased risk of vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and burnout. This article explores the impact of working with high-conflict divorce clients on experts and strategies for self-care, boundaries, and insulation.