Why is Trauma Informed Therapy Important?
Trauma informed care is becoming more adopted in health care settings, and for good reasons! A care professional who is trauma informed is trained to understand, recognize, and respond to the effects of trauma on an individual. Trauma-informed therapy is based on the idea that trauma, whether from abuse, neglect, violence, or other distressing events, can have profound and lasting impacts on mental, emotional, and physical health.
Trauma-informed care adopts approaches to ensure that therapy is supportive and sensitive to the individual's past trauma. Although not triggering the client upon first meeting is an intention, a trauma therapist will try to create a "safe enough" container for the client to feel supported. Read below to learn about the approaches to trauma inform care and why it’s critical in a therapeutic relationship.
What are the therapeutic approaches to trauma-informed care?
Understanding Trauma's Impact: They know how trauma affects the body, the client's behavior, emotions, and relationships. They are aware of and curious about the client's internal landscape and how their lived experiences shape their daily functioning.
Safety and Trust: Creating a safe and supportive environment is essential. A trauma-informed therapist works to build trust with the client, trying their best to make sure the therapy setting does not re-traumatize the individual.
Empowerment and Collaboration: Trauma-informed therapy emphasizes empowering the individual. Therapists collaborate with clients to identify their needs and goals, ensuring the treatment is person-centered. This means that goals are tailored to the client's specific needs, and the client's agency is encouraged.
Sensitivity to Triggers + Teaching Regulation Tools: A trauma-informed therapist is mindful of potential triggers (stimuli that remind someone of their trauma). They help the client build tools and internal resources so that if a client gets triggered, they can trust that they can return to a regulated (enough) state by the end of the session.
Cultural and Social Awareness: Trauma-informed therapists are aware of the sociopolitical factors that influence trauma; thus, they are not only working with the client but also the systems of oppression that we live under. This impacts the client's history and relationship to safety.
Why is trauma-informed care important?
Trauma-informed care in therapy is important because it recognizes and addresses the deep and often complex impacts that trauma can have on an individual's mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing. It's important to treat the client where they're at and find language sensitive to the individual and their wellbeing. Below are the reasons trauma-informed therapy is vital in practice:
Avoids Re-traumatization
Without a trauma-informed approach, therapy can inadvertently trigger painful memories or emotional reactions, worsening the individual's symptoms. Trauma-informed therapists are trained to minimize this risk, ensuring the therapeutic environment feels safe and supportive, not threatening or overwhelming. If traumatization does occur, a therapy-informed therapist will already have the tools in place for clients to come back to themselves to regulate.
Fosters Healing and Recovery
By understanding how trauma affects the brain and behavior, trauma-informed therapists can use strategies that help the individual process traumatic experiences in a way that promotes healing. This approach helps clients develop coping mechanisms, address underlying issues, and make meaningful progress toward recovery.
Creates Safety and Trust
Trauma often shatters a person's sense of safety and trust, both in themselves and in others. A trauma-informed therapist works to rebuild this trust by ensuring that therapy is collaborative and predictable. This safe (enough) space is critical for clients to feel comfortable sharing their experiences and create the capacity to withstand uncomfortable sensations and emotions when revisiting the trauma. This creates a larger window of tolerence for the client and helps desensitize the trigger.
Treats the Root Cause of Symptoms
Many symptoms—such as anxiety, depression, addiction, or relationship difficulties—are often rooted in past trauma. By adopting a trauma-informed lens, the therapist can help the client understand how their current challenges are connected to these experiences and address the root cause rather than just treating the symptoms. This includes experiences on a systemic, community, and individual level.
Supports Resilience and Strengths
Rather than focusing solely on the pathology of trauma, a trauma-informed therapist highlights the individual's strengths and resilience. This strengths-based approach helps clients see themselves as capable of healing and moving forward rather than defined by their traumatic experiences.
Reduces the Stigma of Trauma
A trauma-informed approach normalizes trauma responses, helping individuals understand that their reactions (like hypervigilance or emotional numbness) are natural outcomes of overwhelming stress. This can help reduce the stigma surrounding trauma and mental health issues, allowing clients to approach therapy with less shame and guilt.
In summary
Trauma-informed therapy is essential because it creates an environment of safety, understanding, and empowerment that fosters genuine healing. It helps individuals process trauma in a way that is compassionate and supportive, setting the stage for long-term recovery.
If you need more support in trauma recovery, feel free to learn more about my approach to therapy and contact me for a free consultation today.
