The Relation of Secondary Traumatization to Therapists' Perceptions of the Working Alliance with Clients Who Commit Sexual Abuse

The authors assessed burnout, compassion fatigue, secondary trauma symptoms, and compassion satisfaction in relation to experienced therapists' perceptions of the working alliance. Participants, 106 specialists in the treatment of clients who commit sexual abuse, completed the Working Alliance Inventory-Short Form (T. J. Tracey & A. M. Kokotovic, 1989) in relation to 1 of their male clients; the Professional Quality of Life Scale-Revised (B. H. Stamm, 2005), which assesses 3 components of work-related adjustment; and the Impact of Events Scale (D. S. Weiss & C. R. Marmar, 1995), a measure of secondary trauma. Results of the hierarchical regression analyses showed that perceived alliances were strongest for therapists who had been working relatively longer in this specific field. When the 4 work-related experiences were added to the demographic characteristics, compassion satisfaction was the only unique predictor of alliance ratings. Descriptive analyses showed low mean scores on secondary trauma symptoms and compassion fatigue and generally high levels of compassion satisfaction. (Contains 2 tables and 1 footnote.)