Exploring Burnout, Compassion Fatigue and Self-Compassion
Live Event

Exploring Burnout, Compassion Fatigue and Self-Compassion

Tue, Dec 8th, 2026
11:00am – 2:15pm US Eastern Time
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About the Event

Helping professionals routinely bear witness to suffering, injustice, and trauma. Over time, this exposure can lead to burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma—conditions that impact not only personal well-being but also clinical judgment, ethical practice, and the sustainability of one’s work. This training provides a trauma-informed, strengths-based framework for understanding and responding to the cumulative effects of caregiving through the lens of trauma stewardship.

Participants will explore the distinct differences and overlaps among burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma, including common signs, symptoms, and systemic and individual vulnerabilities. Drawing from trauma stewardship philosophy, the course integrates the Five Directions, the 16 Signs of Trauma Exposure Response, and core stewardship practices that emphasize awareness, balance, boundaries, and meaning-making. Participants will learn practical, relational, and organizational strategies for prevention, early identification, and response—supporting both individual helpers and the systems in which they work. Case studies, video clips, and reflection questions will engage participants in exploring the sustaining value of self-compassion in helping work.

Live Event
This live online event will be held as a Zoom Webinar. Attendees will have the option to interact through features such as the Chat and Q&A, but cameras and microphones will not be enabled.

Live Event Instructor

Diane Bigler

Diane Bigler

Diane Bigler, LCSW, LSCSW has over 25 years of experience in social work and mental health practice. She is a frequent national continuing education speaker and former Professor of Social Work at The University of Kansas, School of Social Welfare. Diane has been involved in the provision of clinical supervision for over 15 years and has trained hundreds of clinicians on succeeding at supervision.

Target Audience

This live interactive is intended for Behavioral Health and Addictions professionals, including addiction counselors, peer support specialists, art therapists, counselors, music therapists, marriage & family therapists, school psychologists, social workers, psychologists, school counselors, and psychoanalysts. It is appropriate for all levels of knowledge.

Learning Objectives

After taking this activity, you should be able to:

  1. 1 Differentiate burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma, including common signs, symptoms, and personal, relational, and systemic risk factors.
  2. 2 Apply the Trauma Stewardship framework and Five Directions to recognize trauma exposure responses and promote awareness, balance, and sustainable helping practices.
  3. 3 Develop a personalized trauma stewardship plan using practical strategies to prevent, respond to, and recover from burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma with self-compassion.

Bell, C., Roberts, G. L. R., Millear, P. M., Allen, A., Wood, A. P., Kannis-Dymand, L., Jona, C. M., & Mason, J. (2024). The emotionally exhausted treating the mentally unwell? A systematic review of burnout and stress interventions for psychologists. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 31(1), e2909. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.2909

Crego, A., Yela, J. R., Riesco-Matías, P., Gómez-Martínez, M.-Á., & Vicente-Arruebarrena, A. (2022). The benefits of self-compassion in mental health professionals: A systematic review of empirical research. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 15, 2599–2620. https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S359382

Henderson, A., Jewell, T., Huang, X., & Simpson, A. (2025). Personal trauma history and secondary traumatic stress in mental health professionals: A systematic review. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 32(1), 13–30. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpm.13082

Lev, S., Zychlinski, E., & Kagan, M. (2022). Secondary traumatic stress among social workers: The contribution of resilience, social support, and exposure to violence and ethical conflicts. Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research, 13(1), 47–65. https://doi.org/10.1086/714015

Lipsa, J. M., Rajkumar, E., Gopi, A., & Romate, J. (2024). Effectiveness of psychological interventions for compassion fatigue: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Occupational Health, 66(1), uiae061. https://doi.org/10.1093/joccuh/uiae061

Sommers, J. K., Edwards, K., Herndon, S., & Knerr, A. (2024). Trauma Stewardship in Student Affairs. About campus, 29(1), 4-11. https://doi.org/10.1177/10864822231223448

Disclosure to Learners

CE Learning Systems adheres to the ACCME's Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Medical Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CE activity – including faculty, planners, reviewers, or others ― are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (formerly known as commercial interests).

The following relevant financial relationships have been disclosed by this activity's planners, faculty, and the reviewer:

Planners and Reviewers

The planners of this activity have reported that they have no relevant financial relationships.

Faculty

There are no known relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Commercial support

There is no commercial support for this distance-learning course.

Use our CE Approvals tool to look up your state requirements and how can help you meet them, or log in to your member account to show approvals relevant to your licensure.

Joint Accreditation (JA)

3 Psychologist CE credit hours
3 Social Worker CE credit hours Clinical
Eligible until Dec 8th, 2026
In support of improving patient care, CE Learning Systems, LLC, is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
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American Psychological Association (APA)

3 CE credit hours Clinical
Eligible until Dec 8th, 2026
Continuing Education (CE) credits for psychologists are provided through the co-sponsorship of the American Psychological Association (APA) Office of Continuing Education in Psychology (CEP). The APA CEP Office maintains responsibility for the content of the programs.
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Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB ACE)

3 CE credit hours Clinical
Eligible until Dec 8th, 2026
As a Jointly Accredited Organization, CE Learning Systems LLC is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. Social workers completing this course receive 3 clinical continuing education credit(s).
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National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)

3 CE credit hours
Eligible until Dec 8th, 2026
CE Learning Systems has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 5951. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CE Learning Systems is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. 3 NBCC hour(s) awarded.
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NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC)

3 CE credit hours
Eligible until Dec 8th, 2026
This course has been approved by CE Learning Systems, service provider of Impact CE, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for educational credits. NAADAC Provider #192243, CE Learning Systems is responsible for all aspects of their programming.
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NAADAC Approved Education Provider

Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling (FL CSW, MFT, MHC)

3 CE credit hours CE Broker logo 20-1418629
Eligible until Dec 9th, 2026
Impact CE, a service of CE Learning Systems, is approved by the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling (Provider # 50-315).
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Florida Certification Board (FCB)

3 CE credit hours
Eligible until Dec 8th, 2026
Impact CE, a service of CE learning Systems, is approved by the Florida Certification Board (FCB) to offer continuing education programs (Provider # 5069A).
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Florida Board of Psychology

3 CE credit hours CE Broker logo 20-1418629
Eligible until Dec 9th, 2026
Impact CE, a service of CE Learning Systems, is approved by the Florida Board of Psychology (Provider # 50-315).
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Missouri Credentialing Board (MCB)

3 CE credit hours
Eligible until Dec 8th, 2026
AddictionCounselorCE is an approved provider of the Missouri Substance Abuse Professional Credentialing Board (Provider #101). AddictionCounselorCE maintains responsibility for this course and its contents.
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New York Education Department Board of Social Work

3 contact hours
Eligible until Dec 8th, 2026
CE Learning Systems, LLC, (d/b/a impactce.com) is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers. Provider #0060.
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New York Education Department Board of Creative Arts Therapy (NYSEDCAT)

3 CE credit hours
Eligible until Dec 8th, 2026
CE Learning Systems (d/b/a impactce.com) is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed creative arts therapists. #CAT-0008
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New York Education Department Board of Mental Health Counseling

3 CE credit hours
Eligible until Dec 8th, 2026
CE Learning Systems, LLC (d/b/a impactce.com) is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0072.
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New York Education Department Board of Psychologists

3 CE credit hours
Eligible until Dec 8th, 2026
CE Learning Systems, LLC, (d/b/a impactce.com) is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for psychologists, # PSY-0016.
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New York Education Department Board of Marriage and Family Therapy

3 CE credit hours
Eligible until Dec 8th, 2026
CE Learning Systems, LLC (d/b/a impactce.com) is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0045.
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Virginia Certification Board (VCB)

3 CE credit hours
Eligible until Dec 8th, 2026
Virginia Certification Board educational provider # 106
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Event Agenda

Agenda times are listed in US Eastern Time. That is 3 hours later than US Pacific Time. The event starts at 8:00am US Pacific Time.

11:00 AM–12:30 PM: Part 1 — Understanding the Occupational Hazards of Helping


  • Burnout, compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress, and vicarious trauma
  • Trauma exposure responses and the 16 signs
  • Personal, relational, and systemic vulnerabilities
  • Compassion satisfaction and protective factors
  • Clinician self-assessment and early warning signs
  • Countertransference and effects on clinical judgment
  • Emotional depletion, boundaries, and ethical practice
  • Introduction to trauma stewardship


12:30–12:45 PM: Break


12:45–2:15 PM: Part 2 — Trauma Stewardship, Resilience & Sustainable Practice


  • Trauma Stewardship framework and Five Directions
  • Barriers to sustainable self-care
  • Self-compassion, grounding, and emotional regulation
  • Building compassion satisfaction and supportive professional communities
  • Professional and emotional boundaries
  • Healthy debriefing and preventing “sliming”
  • Resilience and sustainable self-care practices
  • Meaning, purpose, and professional sustainability
  • Creating an individualized trauma stewardship plan
  • Closing reflection and commitments

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Frequently Asked Questions

Once you register, you'll receive an email with the link and instructions to join the live event. The event will be hosted via Zoom. You may test your Zoom connection prior to the event at the Zoom Test page We recommend logging in 10-15 minutes early to be sure your connection is ready.

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