Research in a Shared Traumatic Reality: Researchers in a Disaster Context

ABSTRACT

Shared traumatic reality (STR) is a situation in which helping professionals and clients are exposed to the same traumatic, life-threatening circumstances in the course of the therapeutic relationship. Based on the findings of studies conducted in a shared traumatic reality, the present article will examine the complex and unique aspects of conducting research in these contexts, and raise questions about the ability of researchers to conduct studies in STR situations. Practical recommendations for dealing with these situations will be offered.

KEYWORDS:

• Research on shared traumatic reality
• shared trauma
• shared traumatic reality
• shared traumatic stress
• therapy
• trauma

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Orit Nuttman-Shwartz

Orit Nuttman-Shwartz, PhD, MSW, is a group analyst and an associate professor. She is the founder and first head of the School of Social Work at Sapir College in Israel. Her research focuses on personal and social trauma, group work, and therapy, as well as on life transitions, occupational crises, and social work education, including international social work. Working near the Israeli border, she has also been engaging in research dealing with the effects of ongoing exposure to threats on individuals, communities, and organizations, and also with the impact of a shared trauma environment on students, supervisors, and social workers. She was involved in several International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW) and European Union granted projects to develop curricula in the context of political conflict on social work, international social work, and a transnational academic curriculum for child and youth welfare. Her articles have appeared in professional journals and she has presented numerous papers at international conferences. She has served as guest editor of several international journals and is a board member of Clinical Journal of Social Work and The Journal of Loss and Trauma. In December of 2010, Nuttman-Shwartz was named as the chairperson of the Israel National Social Work Council, and in November of 2014 she was awarded the Yosef Katan Prize for Social Worker in Academia by the Israeli federation of social work.