GROUP THERAPISTS AND AIDS GROUPS: AN EXPLORATION OF TRAUMATIC STRESS REACTIONS

As the AIDS epidemic continues unabated, there is growing clinical evidence that the catastrophic nature of this disease is creating a second category of trauma casualties. They are the health care practitioners who witness the narratives of those who are living with and dying from AIDS. This articl...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Group (New York. 1977) 1994-09, Vol.18 (3), p.167-176
Main Author: Gabriel, Martha A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Clinical psychology
Countertransference
Death
Fear
Group psychotherapy
Guilt
Holocaust
Post traumatic stress disorder
Psychological trauma
Veterans
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Summary:As the AIDS epidemic continues unabated, there is growing clinical evidence that the catastrophic nature of this disease is creating a second category of trauma casualties. They are the health care practitioners who witness the narratives of those who are living with and dying from AIDS. This article examines how multiple AIDS-related deaths of group members exert a traumatizing effect on group therapists, creating "vicarious traumatization." Vignettes are presented that illustrate reactions associated with traumatic stress, including death images, survivors' guilt, psychic numbing, suspicion of counterfeit nurturance, and struggle for meaning. Possible therapeutic interventions for group therapists coping with multiple deaths are also explored.
ISSN:0362-4021
1573-3386
DOI:10.1007/BF01456587