Date

4-7-2026

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)

Chair

Shannon Warden

Keywords

trauma, secondary trauma, substance use, mental health clinician, mental health professional

Disciplines

Counseling | Social and Behavioral Sciences

Abstract

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe mental health substance use professionals’ experiences with secondary trauma. This study aims to answer questions about how providers perceive their perceptions of secondary trauma based on their personal experiences and client caseload while exploring these providers’ willingness to remain in the field after trauma exposure. This study specifically concentrates on the experiences of mental health professionals working in the substance abuse field within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region. The primary theory guiding this study is the constructivist self-development theory, which focuses on different responses (i.e., positive vs. negative) among individuals who have experienced traumatic events based on their history. This critical theory is used to explore the perceptions of secondary trauma related to external factors relevant to the experiences of mental health clinicians. The data are collected through semi-structured interviews following Moustakas’ (1994) transcendental phenomenology design. The optimal number of participants for this study is 14 individuals in the Washington D.C. metropolitan region who work or have worked in different substance abuse treatment settings. The data analysis is conducted using the phenomenological reduction and thematic analysis method via coding.

Download

Included in

Counseling Commons

Share

COinS