Understanding the Secondary Exposure to Trauma and Professional Quality of Life of School Counselors

This quasi-experimental study examined secondary exposure to trauma and factors of professional quality of life among a national sample of 361 school counselors. Results indicate that major upheaval between parents, death of a close friend or family member, and emotional abuse are the most common traumatic events that school counselors are exposed to and that school counselors in Title I schools report significantly more exposure. Hierarchical multiple regression results revealed that secondary exposure to trauma predicted secondary traumatic stress. We discuss recommendations for research and school counseling practice.