Trauma informed therapy
Trauma informed therapy is a type of therapy that focuses on helping individuals who have experienced trauma in their lives. It is based on the understanding that trauma can impact how individuals interact with the world and respond to certain events. Through trauma informed therapy, individuals can learn how to process and cope with traumatic experiences in a healthy way. This blog post will provide an overview of trauma-informed therapy, discuss the importance of this approach, and offer tips for individuals seeking help managing their trauma.
Healing deep wounds
Defining Trauma
Trauma is an emotional response to a distressing event that can have long-lasting effects on one’s psychological and physical well-being. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5), trauma can be defined as
exposure to actual or threatened events involving death, serious injury, or sexual violation in one (or more) of the following ways:
1. Directly experiencing the events.
2. Witnessing the events in person as they occur to others.
Learning that the events occurred to a close family member or friend. Experiencing repeated or extreme exposure to adverse details of the events.
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are one type of trauma that can profoundly impact a person’s life. ACEs can include:
- Abuse
- Neglect
- Household dysfunction such as a parent struggling with substance abuse or domestic violence
- Parental separation or divorce
The 10 Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) are:
- Physical
- Emotional
- Sexual abuse
- Physical and emotional neglect
- Parental separation or divorce
- Living with someone who has a mental illness
- Living with someone who has a substance abuse problem
- Experiencing violence
- Having a household member who has been incarcerated
- Racial trauma should also be considered an Adverse Childhood Experience for Black children. An estimated 46% of children have at least one Adverse Childhood Experience
At “Olive Counsel” therapists take a trauma-informed approach when working with clients who have experienced trauma. This means understanding how trauma affects individuals and being aware of symptoms that may indicate an underlying trauma. When approaching a trauma survivor, a therapist use language like “What happened to you?” rather than “What is wrong with you?” Other principles of trauma-informed care include:
- Building trust and connection with clients.
- Creating a safe and secure environment.
- Avoiding re-traumatization.
- Helping clients develop self-regulation skills.
By taking a trauma-informed approach, our therapists can help clients heal from their traumatic experiences safely and healthily.
Main types of trauma
There are four main types of trauma:
- Acute trauma
- Chronic trauma
- Complex trauma
- Early childhood trauma
1. Acute trauma
Acute trauma results from a single incident or event, such as an accident or a physical assault.
2. Chronic trauma
Chronic trauma is repeated or prolonged exposure to traumatic events, such as ongoing physical or sexual abuse.
3. Complex trauma
Complex trauma is exposure to varied and multiple traumatic events, such as a combination of physical, emotional, sexual, and spiritual abuse over a long period.
4. Early childhood trauma
Early childhood trauma generally refers to the traumatic experiences that occur to children ages 0-6. Early childhood trauma includes natural disasters, sexual abuse, physical abuse, domestic violence, medical injury, illness or procedures, community violence, neglect, deprivation, traumatic grief, a victim of crime, kidnapping, accidents, school violence, and loss.
Regardless of the type of trauma experienced, those affected often need support from a trauma informed approach to heal. This includes a trauma informed care definition that looks at how traumatic experiences have shaped the individual’s life and current behaviour. Trauma informed care principles involve the following:
- Focusing on safety and security for individuals.
- Fostering collaboration between all individuals involved.
- Recognizing how power dynamics influence how individuals interact with each other.
- Recognizing how past experiences may shape current behaviors and responses.
- Creating an environment of trust and understanding.
Trauma informed therapies involve creating a safe space for individuals to express themselves and process their trauma. A trauma informed therapist can help individuals build skills and gain insight into how to cope with the effects of their traumatic experience.
Trauma informed care definition
Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) is an approach in the human service field that assumes an individual is likely to have a history of trauma. It changes organizational culture to emphasize respecting and appropriately responding to the effects of trauma. TIC seeks answer to the question, “What has happened to this person?” TIC intends not to treat trauma but to provide support services in an accessible and appropriate way. Re-traumatization can occur unintentionally, through obvious and less obvious practices, when interfacing with individuals who have experienced historical, inter-generational, or cultural trauma.
Re-traumatization is any situation or environment that resembles an individual’s trauma literally or symbolically, which then triggers difficult feelings and reactions associated with the original trauma.
A TIC approach strives to understand the whole of an individual seeking services.
In short, what is trauma informed care? Trauma-Informed Care is a practice in the human service field that prioritizes understanding the effects of trauma and preventing re-traumatization in individuals.
What are the 5 principles of trauma-informed care?
Trauma-Informed Care is based on the 5 guiding principles:
- Safety
- Trustworthiness
- Choice
- Collaboration
- Empowerment
These principles are derived from the Latin phrase “Primum non nocere” which translates as “First, do no harm” This concept is especially important when working with individuals who have experienced trauma in their past, as re-traumatization can occur if they are exposed to triggers or situations that remind them of the traumatic event.
Our practitioners, adhering to the principles of Trauma-Informed Care ensures an individual’s emotional and physical safety. This includes considering how their physical presence, stature, posture, volume, tone, smell, and demeanor might come across to the person in care. Trustworthiness is also established by setting consistent boundaries and clear expectations of the service experience.
The principle of choice is particularly important in Trauma-Informed Care. It empowers people to make active choices in their treatment plans and discover and build on existing strengths. Collaboration between the client and therapist is also essential, as it helps to promote resilience and provides hope that recovery is possible. By understanding and utilizing the principles of Trauma-Informed Care in a trauma-informed approach, our therapists can provide effective trauma-informed therapies for our clients.
What to expect from our trauma informed therapy services?
When seeking help from a trauma-informed therapist, it is important to understand what to expect. Trauma-informed therapy is an approach that acknowledges the traumatic experiences of individuals and seeks to help them recover. The first step in this process is understanding the trauma-informed care definition and principles.
Trauma-informed care definition is the recognition of the presence of trauma and its effects on an individual’s life. It also recognizes the need for specialized therapeutic approaches to address the individual’s psychological, emotional, and physical needs related to the traumatic experience.
What are the 5 principles of trauma-informed care? The 5 core principles of trauma-informed care are safety, trustworthiness, choice, collaboration, and empowerment. Safety means creating a physical and emotional environment where individuals feel safe to share their thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment or discrimination. Trustworthiness means creating an environment where the individual feels that their therapist is providing unbiased and truthful information about their condition. Choice means allowing individuals to take part in decision-making regarding their treatment plan. Collaboration means working with other healthcare providers or professionals to help individuals access the necessary services and resources. Empowerment means encouraging individuals to take charge of their healing process and make informed decisions about their health and well-being.
When engaging in trauma-informed therapies, individuals should expect a safe and supportive environment where their feelings and experiences are respected and validated. They can also expect their therapist to use techniques tailored to their specific needs and to work collaboratively with them toward recovery. Additionally, trauma-informed therapists will use techniques such as cognitive behavioural therapy, exposure therapy, and mindfulness to help individuals process their traumatic experiences healthily.
Overall, trauma-informed therapy provides a safe space for individuals to heal and encourages collaboration between the therapist and the individual. By understanding trauma-informed care definitions and principles, individuals can feel more confident in their journey toward recovery.
When do you need trauma informed therapist?
When a person has experienced trauma in their life, they must seek out a trauma-informed therapist. A trauma-informed therapist understands that the mind and body of a person with unhealed trauma are functioning in an altered way. Trauma-informed care is intended to help someone safely recognize their trauma history even when they don’t believe their experience includes trauma. Recognizing trauma’s role in a person’s experience is essential to treating and healing the toxic stress of trauma in one’s life.
Trauma-informed care is built on a holistic view that offers safety and compassion. When seeking a trauma-informed therapist, look for a provider who offers respectful and safe care, creates a secure relationship, demonstrates an understanding of how trauma impacts the body and mind and shows knowledge of the impact of trauma on one’s life. A trauma informed therapist should also have experience providing services to people with traumatic histories, be aware of their own bias and privilege, and be committed to lifelong learning about trauma and its effects.