Compassion fatigue (sometimes called secondary traumatic stress) shows up when we’ve been exposed to others’ pain for a long time without enough space, support, or recovery. When we consistently lean into empathy, we also absorb the emotional weight of the work.

Dolan co-authored statewide peer training programs in both Florida and Kentucky, creating practical, trauma-informed, peer-delivered curricula that offered recovery teams tools for immediate use and long-term growth.