What occupations might trauma survivors end up doing?

Some research and anecdotal evidence might give us insights into which occupations might attract individuals who have experienced childhood trauma. Keep in mind that these observations may not be universally applicable and can vary based on individual experiences and choices. Also, people with childhood trauma can work successfully in various occupations, and their career choices are not solely determined by their past experiences. I ended up working for the Police and now in a primary school so that sort of fits with the information below , but I guess were all different.

Certain occupations might be appealing to childhood trauma survivors for reasons such as providing a sense of purpose, healing, or empathy towards others who have experienced trauma. Some fields might offer a supportive environment or a chance to make a positive impact on people’s lives. Examples include:

1. Therapy and Counseling Fields: Individuals who have experienced childhood trauma might be drawn to roles like therapists, counselors, or social workers to help others navigate through similar experiences.
2. Advocacy and Nonprofit Work: Many survivors are motivated to create change and support others who have faced trauma, which could lead them to work in advocacy, nonprofit organizations, or community outreach.
3. Artistic and Creative Fields: Creative expression can be a therapeutic outlet. Survivors might pursue careers in writing, art, music, or drama to channel their experiences into their work.
4. Peer Support Roles: Some survivors find value in connecting with others who have shared experiences. Peer support specialists or support group facilitators can provide a safe space for healing and growth.
5. Medical and Healthcare Professions: A desire to help others and a personal understanding of trauma might drive individuals towards healthcare fields, such as nursing, psychology, or even medical research.
6. Teaching and Education: Childhood trauma survivors who want to make a positive impact on young lives might choose teaching, mentoring, or tutoring roles to provide support to children who might be going through similar challenges.
7. Social Services: Working in fields related to child welfare, foster care, and adoption might resonate with survivors who want to make a difference in the lives of children facing similar situations.

It’s important to approach this topic with sensitivity and avoid making assumptions about individuals’ experiences based solely on their chosen occupations. People with childhood trauma can pursue a wide range of careers, and factors like personal interests, skills, values, and opportunities also influence their career choices.

Does having trauma prevent us from some professions ?

The SBS ( Australian Broadcaster ) published an article about surprising occupations for trauma survivors . The interest of the University professor had been started when an application was received for the master of Social Work programme . The perspective student had been turned down from other universities as she had a history of drug convictions .She was now drug free and on a good path but as she wanted to work with children she was ineligible for a working with children clearance card.

The lecturer realised that this was a common story , she realised that many social worker students had a history of childhood trauma .However the working with children clearance was a hurdle too far for some as it is required as part of a social work degree , even if working with children was unlikely.

The past Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to child sexual abuse , had recommended the screening of staff and volunteers who might work with children, most Australian states adopt a similar approach. In fact in Australia it is required for all adult-specific welfare services to have child clearance.

A candidate may be suitable, reformed , the university may want them , but they cannot invite them to the course. The writer , quoted a Journal of Social work ( US) article from 1993 that showed 22% of social work students reported having experienced sexual abuse, compared to 2% for business studies.

This can be a problem for social work as lived experiences is helpful in many areas of social work .The Article quotes statistics of Aboriginal women , who are underrepresented in social work . Incarcerated Aboriginal women had a 70 % rate of childhood sexual abuse and of these 98% went on to take drugs. Sadly as this was a transcript of a broadcast program I have no names for the professor or the reporter .

Childhood trauma survivors may have used past coping techniques such as Alcohol and drug abuse , this will inevitably exclude them from many areas of employment and even some international travel.

M.Venter et al in 2020 looked into childhood trauma and work functioning. The study proved that there is a direct association between childhood trauma and work functioning in adult life, both when present or absent. The main reason found surrounded depression and anxiety disorders .

Stephan’s Nachmias ( Nottingham Trent University ) wrote in people Management magazine in January 2020 that we must take effective actions in the workplace . More must be done he said to support survivors and action is needed on the part of the employers , its simply the right thing to do.

The answer is that trauma survivors can be found in many occupations , we do have many perhaps unseen obstacles to over come , not including the obvious , low self esteem ,low confidence , hyper vigilance and the continuing effects of coping techniques. The Institute for Advanced Medical Research shows that those with any form of PTSD are 50% more likely to be unemployed.The IAMR quoted a Cornel University statistic that only 6% of employers had reported ever accommodating a worker with PTSD.

As we can see from the social work section above , some professions naturally attract trauma survivors , we have an innate desire to help others like ourselves. We have life experience , we can emphasise and it gives us a valuable and un-teachable ability to see things others can’t see and approach from a different perspective. We deserve for society to be educated about trauma , to be trauma informed and to carry that approach into employment.