The Impact of Working with Human Sex Trafficking Survivors on Clinicians' Personal and Professional Lives

This qualitative phenomenological study considered the experience of a clinician working with victims and survivors of human sex trafficking and their families. In the overwhelming majority of cases, family members were not involved in the clinical treatment of human sex trafficking survivors. The clinicians primarily worked with the individual client. The data from phone interviews was analyzed using thematic analysis, which resulted in the following themes emerging: vulnerability to secondary trauma, impact on the clinician's life, and self-care strategies and resources. The work with human sex trafficking survivors impacted the clinicians' personal, family, and professional lives. Limitations, clinical implications, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Human Development

Department dc:contributor.department

Human Development

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2017

Author dc:creator

• Thai, An Xuan

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Falconier, Mariana K.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Muruthi, Bertranna Alero
• Strachman Miller, Marjorie L.

• human sex trafficking
• clinicians
• survivors
• secondary trauma
• self-care
• resources

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

vt_gsexam:12736

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/78903