Dr Catherine Barrett

Dr Catherine Barrett is the Founder and CEO of the charity Celebrate Ageing Ltd. Celebrate Ageing was established in 2013 and aims to combat ageism and build respect for older people. Catherine's work focuses on bridging the evidence-culture gap to create sustainable change. Achievements include Trailblazer, Victorian Honour Roll of Women (2023), Probono Australia Impact 25 (2022) and Most Uplifting Facebook Group in the World (2021 Facebook Awards).

Last updated: 27 November 2025 Visit website

Vicarious trauma and working with older people

Physical or psychological distress from other people’s traumatic experiences is called ‘vicarious trauma’. For care service workers supporting older people, the risk is very real