A Proposal for a Mindfulness-Based Trauma Prevention Program for Social Work Professionals

The pervasiveness of traumatic events and the increasing awareness of their persistent and sometimes devastating effects on individuals and populations has repositioned trauma from a peripheral topic of interest for social workers to a mainstream subject of study. This article explores the personal and professional challenges that mass trauma presents to social workers and provides a rationale for, and description of, a proposed mindfulness-based trauma prevention program. This program is designed to guide social workers and other health professionals in learning effective self-directed techniques to maintain equanimity in the face of danger and human suffering, thereby reducing the incidence of secondary trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder. Components of the program include mindfulness of breathing, body scan, and trauma-releasing exercises.