Certification Training for Compassion Fatigue Professionals (CCFP) by Bessel Van der Kolk , Eric Gentry & Janina Fisher

This is an intermediate-level certification and course that is open to any care-giving professional or volunteer. By becoming a certified compassion fatigue professional you will be able to recapture your sense of mission, purpose, hope and joy in your office.

1. Understanding of the historical developments in the field of care giving that gave rise to the concept of compassion fatigue (e.g., diagnosis of PTSD being included in DSM—III, vicarious trauma, burnout research, etc)
2. Ability to articulate the etiology of compassion fatigue through its two primary components: secondary traumatic stress and burnout.
3. Clear understanding of the potential symptoms and effects associated with compassion fatigue.
4. Skilled administration and interpretation of compassion fatigue assessment instruments for self and others with primary focus upon the Pro-QOL (Stamm, 2005).
5. Awareness of and ability to narrate one’s own personal/professional history that has lead to negative effects associated with professional and/or volunteer care giving.
6. Understand the role that perceived threat and sympathetic nervous system dominance play in the generation of compassion fatigue symptoms and, conversely, the role of self-regulation in the amelioration of current effects and prevention of future effects.
7. Identify the process (i.e., “infection”) of secondary traumatic stress—how does a professional become gradually symptomatic when working with traumatized and suffering others?
8. Be aware of how to use (a) connection/support; (b) relaxation, and (c) exposure/narrative to resolve current symptoms and to prevent future effects associated with secondary traumatic stress.

10. Skilled application of CBT tools (e.g., relaxation, exposure and perceptual change) to lessen the effects of compassion fatigue in one’s own life.

11. Appreciate the role of intentionality and principle-based care giving (i.e., internal locus of control) as a method for symptom amelioration and resiliency.

12. Ability to understand and articulate the effects of compassion fatigue as being failed or thwarted professional maturation.

13. Ability to understand and articulate the specific processes, trajectory and tasks associated with professional maturation and how developing these skills enhance resiliency.

14. Comprehend and articulate a model of professional resiliency that allows the care provider to be healthy and maximally functional independent of environmental “demands” (internal vs. external control).

15. Recognize five (5) key resiliency skills for the prevention of compassion fatigue and how to implement these skills towards the prevention of negative work-related effects.

16. Demonstrate the ability to design a self-directed professional resiliency plan.