Though still somewhat of an emerging sector of therapy, trauma informed care training is considered a “must” by many experts in the field. In order to be able to correctly treat patients who have been through traumatic experiences, as most patients seeking therapy have been, being able to sound relatable and not paint them in any negative light due to their past experiences is paramount for gaining the trust that is essential for successful therapy.

Similar to some of the school grief counseling techniques that have been used to help students deal with the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic, trauma informed care allows patients to cope with all of their past experiences by getting them on the proverbial table, and working through them. Here is a more detailed look at Trauma Informed Care (TIC).

TIC Defined

As per Psychology Today, “Trauma-Informed Care is not about specific therapeutic techniques – it is an overall approach, a philosophy of providing care.”  With this, many proponents of TIC believe it should be an institutional mindset, rather than just an individual mindset. In other words, if you have 15 therapists at your organization, they should all be trained regularly in TIC, and even your company mission statement should revolve around providing the right care to everyone, including those affected by trauma.

Parts of the Umbrella

As TIC is defined as a bit of an umbrella term, there are many parts that make the whole when it comes to providing quality care to someone affected heavily by a traumatic past. Here are some of those parts:

• Trustworthiness – As is the case with any medical relationship, from nurses to doctors to therapists, building trust with your patient is even more important when discussing traumatic experiences. Without trust and confidence in confidentiality, the odds of a therapist getting the whole story (and thus, being able to do her/his job to the best of their abilities)
• Safety – Speaking on traumatic experiences can, and does, sometimes leave patients closer to their past memories than they were before a session. Though this is ultimately important for growth, it can also mean the patient could be more susceptible to self-harm with he traumatic experiences being discussed. Keeping a positive tone is a must.
• Peer Support – Encouraging your patient to seek out peer support beyond you can aid with the safety aspect, as well as the trustworthiness aspect… and most importantly, the coping aspect.
• Empowerment – Getting your patient to a level where she or he can truly feel in control of their past experiences allows them to feel empowered and can have a wonderful trickle-down effect to other parts of their lives or past that they need to overcome, outside of a given traumatic experience.

The Discussions

First, a therapist needs to determine if trauma is the underlying cause of other issues that ultimate led to therapy. In other words, TIC aims to focus on the underlying reasons for poor behavior, rather than just fixing the behavior temporarily, like with a cut and band-aid. It’s also important to know that trauma can stem from many, many things, not just the extremes like sexual abuse or PTSD. Childhood emotional abuse can last a lifetime, and is often a deeply rooted reason for many acts of deviance in adult life.

Where to Find a TIC Therapist

If this article has resonated with you, and you believe that a loved one (or yourself) could benefit from trauma-informed therapy, there are few important questions to ask, as many therapists will claim to be TIC trained, but simply as a way to increase their clientele. Asking them questions about their past experiences with trauma patients, and asking about how those patients are doing now is a quick and easy way to test the weight of their TIC claims.

Ultimately, this style of care can be the catalyst for huge breakthroughs for people who have previously been unsuccessful in their experiences with therapy.