“I wasn’t trained for this!”: Exploring the lived experiences of academic advisors and secondary traumatic stress

Abstract

Academic advisors may serve as first responders when students disclose trauma, yet little is known about how these emotionally intense encounters impact advisors themselves. This qualitative study used hermeneutic phenomenology to explore the lived experiences of seven academic advisors at four-year public institutions in the Midwest who support or have supported students in distress. Through two in-depth interviews and utilizing Lynch and Glass’s (2018) Secondary Trauma in Student Affairs Professionals (STSAP) scale, the study examined how such advising experiences can contribute to advisor feelings of secondary traumatic stress. Five key themes emerged: (a) gaps in preparation, (b) necessity of support, (c) impact on well-being, (d) coping strategies, and the (e) challenge of balancing personal and professional identities. Participants reported inadequate training, limited institutional support, and emotional exhaustion tied to the hidden emotional labor of holistic advising. Gendered and racialized expectations further shaped their experiences. Findings highlight a need for trauma-informed training, stronger institutional support structures, and a cultural shift in higher education to recognize and resource the emotional dimensions of advising work.