You Can’t Pour from an Empty Cup

When your role is supporting survivors of sexual violence, it often feels like there’s no room for rest. You care deeply. You show up. You hold stories no one else sees — the grief, the resilience, the rage. And while you’re trained to be the steady one in the room, no one trained you for the slow burnout that can creep in when you’re constantly absorbing other people’s pain.

Self-care in this work isn’t a luxury. It’s a responsibility

At Survivors’ Network, we know what it means to work at the intersection of trauma and care. We’ve supported survivors of sexual violence for over 35 years and delivered specialist training for more than 15. And we’ve seen time and again what happens when people in caring professions pour out more than they refill.

Our profound understanding and experience of working with survivors, often as survivors ourselves, prompted us to develop a way of supporting those in a similar position and inspired our Self-care in Trauma Exposed Roles training session. 

“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare,” – Audre Lorde 1988

Why trauma-exposed roles require specialist care

Whether you’re a therapist, frontline worker, advocate, educator, medical professional or work in a community-based role — if you’re supporting survivors, you’re impacted by that exposure.

This doesn’t mean you’re “not cut out for it.” It means you’re human.

Vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue are real occupational hazards. So is burnout that doesn’t show up with fanfare, but with small signs: reduced empathy, emotional numbness, irritability, physical exhaustion, or a quiet sense that you’re not making enough of a difference.

It’s not your fault — and it’s not inevitable. But it is preventable, and it’s manageable. With the right tools.

Training Available

Our Self-Care in Trauma-Exposed Roles workshop isn’t about bubble baths and breathing exercises (though those are nice too). It’s about equipping you with a practical, realistic, and compassionate approach to your own wellbeing — rooted in the realities of working with trauma.

Together, we’ll explore:

• What vicarious trauma really looks and feels like
• How systems of oppression shape our exhaustion
• How to recognise and respond to early signs of burnout
• How to set sustainable boundaries in supportive roles
• Tools for nervous system regulation and recovery
• How to reconnect with purpose, without over-identifying with pain
• Strategies for building self-care into daily routines — without guilt

We’ll also create space for honest reflection — on why we find it hard to prioritise ourselves, and how we can shift from surviving in these roles to thriving in them.

“Every one of us needs to show how much we care for each other and, in the process, care for ourselves.” — Princess Diana

Who is it for?

This session is ideal for:

• Therapists and counsellors
• Frontline workers in sexual violence, domestic abuse or mental health services
• Youth workers, educators and social workers
• Medical and support staff working with vulnerable populations
• Anyone in a care-based or advocacy role who holds trauma stories regularly

Whether you’re early in your career or years deep, this session is designed to meet you where you are — and offer you something useful, gentle and nourishing.

Upcoming Training Sessions

• Online – join from anywhere in the UK
• Book your space now on Eventbrite
• CPD certificate included
• Includes discussion space, reflection activities and resources to take away

Remember:

You are not a limitless resource.

You are not invincible.

You are allowed to take care of yourself.

In fact, it’s one of the most radical things you can do in a world that constantly asks you to give more.

Let us help you build the skills and space to do that.

Because when we take care of ourselves, we’re better able to take care of others.