Through this paper, the phenomena related to occupational stress in helping professions are studied with an emphasis on secondary traumatic stress. The analysis of the relevant literature revealed the types of stress and negative phenomena related to the helping professions, as well as the ways in which they appear and how to prevent them. The causes of occupationall stress, compassion fatigue, burnout syndrome, vicarious trauma, traumatic countertransference, posttraumatic stress disorder, and secondary traumatic stress are described, and the differences between these terms are explained. The aim of this paper is to describe the phenomenon of secondary traumatic stress, the ways in which it occurs and the consequences it leaves on the helper, and to describe the risk and protective factors that may favor the occurrence or prevent secondary traumatic stress. Ways to prevent the occurrence of secondary traumatic stress and other phenomena are: good organizational structure, social support, supervision, good education programs, higher level of education and a high ability to recognize own emotions so that empathy becomes a protective factor, not a risk factor.