Mental health professionals working with families in crisis are at a very high risk of experiencing adverse emotional and behavioral effects. For most it is very difficult to be aware of their vulnerability while focusing their resources on increasing their efficient and effective action, an essential part of providing humanitarian services.

The purpose of this presentation is to identify the particular difficulties faced by mental health professionals working with families in crisis. The excessive demands of the responsibility they carry, the limits of what they can do and the repeated exposure to intensely aversive experiences are all sources of great stress. They often attempt to deal with the above using maladaptive coping strategies such as excessive smoking, alcohol and drug consumption. When this strenuous situation becomes prolonged, they may also feel they have no energy. This state is known as “burnout” and is characterized by mental and physical exhaustion. Also, mental health professionals who care about and for people in crisis are at risk of compassion fatigue; a state of tension and preoccupation with trauma that is believed to be a natural consequence of therapist's empathic engagement with those who suffer.

Another major risk for health professionals who are exposed to the powerful emotions and harrowing tales of their clients is vicarious traumatization, a secondary trauma with symptoms and reactions that resemble PTSD. Mental health professionals experience fear, avoidance, depression and other symptoms that often resemble those experienced by the families in crisis themselves. This overwhelming experience may cause changes in their belief system and cognitive schemata. The impact of such trauma appears to extend to the work environment (e.g., violations of therapeutic boundaries, avoidance or denial patient's experiences) and impact the interpersonal relationships and social life of the mental health professionals as well.

From the above it becomes clear that mental health professionals who work with families in crisis could be greatly benefited by the presence of an ongoing support system. Just as it is very difficult for an individual to overcome crisis successfully without support, similarly mental health professionals cannot successfully assist families and communities in crisis without support for themselves.