Moral injury: A human response to systemic wrongs, not a mental disorder.
Moral injury is the deep emotional and psychological distress caused by “perpetrating, failing to prevent, bearing witness to or learning about acts that transgress deeply held moral beliefs” (Litz et al, 2009), often exacerbated by a sense of betrayal by someone in authority. Understanding of moral injury evolved in the military context when soldiers were unable to reconcile acts committed with their personal moral codes. The global pandemic increased awareness of its relevance to healthcare staff and all who work on the human frontline. In a recent survey of doctors by the BMA, 78% said the terms moral injury or moral distress resonated with their experiences. Moral injury is being increasingly recognised across multiple professions, including clergy, social work, academia and mental health. Anecdotal examples include not being able to provide care that feels good enough, a sense of betrayal by those in authority through lack of accountability, staff shortages and pay freezes. This is a global issue beginning to present in counselling and psychotherapy contexts.
This 2 hour session will
Introduce and explore the construct of Moral Injury.
Reflect on emerging practice and innovation in this field
Share our reflective retreat model
Invite attendees to consider what the concept of moral injury means for us as a helping profession. How might this stengthen our ability to work holistically and compassionately with others, and help us look after ourselves and guard our own moral wellbeing.
This will be of of interest to therapists and supervisors, anyone working with frontline staff across services and anyone working with trauma and oppression.
Bio
Alison is a trainer and consultative supervisor with 25 years experience of groupwork, therapy and applied theatre. She has been privileged to work in prisons, Romanian orphanages, in substance misuse, with older adults, military veterans and survivors of complex trauma. She worked for several years as Lecturer and Senior Lecturer in Counselling and Psychotherapy at University of South Wales. She is the Co-Founder of Re-Live, an Arts and Health charity, co-creating Life Story Theatre with older adults and people affected by trauma and adversity. Alison and Re-Live Co-founder, Karin Diamond, received an Arts and Health Practice Award from the Royal Society of Public Health for creative work with military families. They also received an award for International Leadership in Arts and Health from Arts and Health Australia. Karin and Alison are currently writing a book, with friend and colleague, Clark Baim, Creating Life Story Theatre: A Guide for Applied Theatre Practitioners, which will be published by Methuen in 2025.
Alison's Churchill Fellowship, Transforming Trauma: Moral Injury and the Arts with military veterans, families and communities, opened the door to a creative, compassionate approach to wellbeing which links the personal, the political and the spiritual. She established Moral Injury Partnership with Sophie Redlin and Simon Edwards and they are delivering a retreat-based programme of restorative support for frontline professionals impacted by moral injury and burnout, which is being evaluated in partnership with the International Centre for Moral Injury at Durham University.
Alison is committed to enhancing practitioner wellbeing by co-creating restorative, reflective support networks and experiences that allow people in the helping professions to be well in the work they do. Teachers, counsellors, nurses, doctors, care workers, police, paramedics, prison staff, all who work at the human frontline. The work hurts at times. Support is vital.
