Does It Matter If My Therapist is Trauma Informed?
By Kathy Netten
Trauma is defined as an overwhelming experience or emotional shock. Natural disasters, war, accidents and crimes are examples of traumatic events. People can also develop trauma from exposure to common, harmful conditions such as:
- Abuse (physical, sexual, emotional)
- Neglect (physical and emotional)
- Living with a family member who is managing addiction or mental health issues
- Witnessing domestic violence
- Separation from a loved one
- Racism and discrimination
- Violence in the community.
These common traumas can impact brain development in young children. A study examining these types of adverse childhood events found 25% of people had experienced three of these stressors before the age of 18. Due to the pervasiveness of trauma, helping professions no longer ask, “What’s wrong with you?” Instead, they reframe the questions as: “What happened to you?” This kind of trauma-informed approach has major benefits for people seeking therapy.
A trauma-informed perspective recognizes trauma as an injury that needs to be addressed, rather than labeling a client as “resistant” or “uncooperative.” The goal of trauma-informed services is to deliver care in a way that intentionally avoids retraumatizaing the client. Trauma symptoms are viewed as survival adaptations that should be met with empathy and a respectful, calm manner. Trauma-informed care encompasses principles of safety, trust, choice, collaboration, empowerment, hope and historical/gender/cultural experiences, along with acknowledgement and awareness.
A trauma-informed setting creates physical and emotional safety from the moment therapist and client first meet. Therapists remain attuned to non-verbal communication that signals safety, or they intervene to ensure safety before continuing. Trust is developed gently, over time, at the pace of the client. Therapists are reliable, consistent and clarify the experience of the client without making assumptions. Therapists support choice for their clients with curiosity, and by finding ways to offer their clients options in the session. Trauma-informed therapists partner with clients to co-create goals and collaborate on the treatment plan. In a trauma-informed model, clients gain–or regain–a sense of power in their lives by building on strengths and resiliency, through safe relationships. Therapists cultivate hope with compassion and optimism. In addition, they help the client understand that moments of despair and disillusionment are understandable for someone who has experienced trauma. Trauma-informed interventions acknowledge stereotypes, biases and historical, collective traumas. Finally, trauma-informed therapists engage in a reflective practice to examine the impact of trauma and create cultural safety.
So, yes, it does matter if your therapist is trauma-informed.