Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 30, 2026

Use of a Psychophysiological Script-driven Imagery Experiment to Study Trauma-related Dissociation in Borderline Personality Disorder
Published on: March 8, 2018
Strengths and secondary trauma in family violence work
1Center for Social Work Research, School of Social Work, University of Texas at Austin, USA. hbell@mail.utexas.edu
Abstract:
The strengths perspective has been a unique contribution by the field of social work to the understanding of the helper-client relationship. This article explores the utility of the strengths perspective as a conceptual framework for research in a qualitative study of secondary trauma with counselors of battered women. An emphasis on strengths allowed the researcher to identify strategies and resources that prevented symptoms of secondary trauma in the majority of counselors. These strengths include a sense of competence about their coping, maintaining an objective motivation for their work, resolving their own personal traumas, drawing on early positive role models of coping, and having buffering personal beliefs. Implications for social work practice, education, and research are discussed.
Related Concept Videos
Family Therapy
Strategic Family Therapy
Strategic family therapy emphasizes resolving communication barriers and improving problem-solving abilities...
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Symptoms and Behavioral Manifestations
A spectrum of distressing symptoms characterizes PTSD. Recurrent flashbacks, where individuals involuntarily relive traumatic events, are a...
Relationship with Other Adult Family Members and Siblings
Coping Strategies: Emotion Focused
Coping Strategies: Problem Focused
For example, consider a student who struggles to understand their...
Traumatic Memory
