Trauma can, without a doubt, leave lasting effects on people. Effects that extend far beyond the actual event. It can impact the way you feel, think, relate to others, respond to everyday situations, and generally live your life. And, regardless of the source of trauma, be it a major life-threatening event, or perhaps some ongoing difficult experiences such as emotional abuse, neglect, discrimination, bullying, or chronic stress, or anything else, one thing is absolutely for sure. Trauma definitely requires compassionate and effective care.
The fact that you are here tells me that you have already heard about one specific approach that has gained significant attention recently when it comes to dealing with trauma. To cut right to the chase, I am referring to trauma-informed counselling, an approach that recognizes the widespread impact of trauma and that aims at creating an environment where the clients are sure to feel comfortable, and both emotionally and physically safe while they are working towards healing. So, instead of focusing solely on the symptoms, this approach takes the more comprehensive picture into account, and the person as a whole, and as a unique individual.
Now, if you are considering getting counselling services after having had a difficult experience, then it is no wonder that you are here, curious about trauma-informed counselling. What you want to do is understand how this approach actually works and what it is, as well as how it can support healing and safety. Once you understand those things, you will be ready to decide all on your own if this is an approach that you want to try or not. So, without much more ado, let us start answering your questions and getting you better acquainted with trauma-informed counselling in general.
What Is Trauma-Informed Counselling?
Okay, clearly, we are going to begin with the question of what trauma-informed counselling actually is. And, well, to cut right to the chase, we are not talking about one single type of therapy here. Instead, this is an approach that shapes the way counsellors are interacting with their clients throughout the entire therapeutic process. Trauma-informed professionals will understand that trauma affects everyone differently, so they won’t try to push one-size-fits-all solutions, and they will, instead, take your unique circumstances into account in order to help you on your healing journey.
The goal here is to actually create a therapeutic environment where you, as the client, will feel respected, empowered, and supported, while processing those difficult experiences at your own pace. So, these professionals won’t force conversations about traumatic events. Instead, they will put emphasis on collaboration, emotional safety, and, of course, choice.
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How Can It Support Healing and Safety?
Okay, now that you get what it is, what you want to do next is figure out how it can actually support healing and safety. And, well, there are plenty of ways in which this approach does that. So, let us now check out some of those, hoping to help you get a better understanding about what to expect from the entire process, and from the approach in general.
- It Puts a Lot of Emphasis on Safety
Basically, one of the defining characteristics of this type of counselling is, well, the strong emphasis on safety. After all, for a lot of trauma survivors, trust has been damaged in one way or another, so they may feel quite fearful and uncertain when it comes to opening up to another person. A trauma-informed counsellor will recognize that and thus work towards establishing an environment where their clients will feel secure. And, when speaking of safety in this regard, we are talking about both physical and emotional safety, which is often connected when it comes to trauma survivors. So, the counsellor will create clear boundaries, respect confidentiality, explain the therapeutic process clearly, and let clients share how much they actually want during each session without pressuring them into anything.
- It Builds Trust Through Collaboration
Now, a lot of traditional ideas about therapy portray the counsellor as a kind of an authority that will let the client know what to do. This, however, is not the case with trauma-informed counselling. In fact, the approach is much more collaborative. Clients are actually the experts on their own lives and their own experiences, so the professionals won’t make decisions on their behalf, and they will, instead, work alongside them to identify their goals, explore strategies and develop personalized plans.
- It Recognizes Trauma Without Re-Traumatizing
A common misconception about trauma therapy is that, well, the healing process is sure to always require you to repeatedly discuss those painful memories in great details. Yet, the truth is that this approach will certainly seek to avoid re-traumatizing whenever that is possible. So, the counsellors will carefully monitor your reactions and emotional responses and help you remain within a manageable level of emotional activation. Thus, if you start getting overwhelmed, your counsellor can pause and shift focus, or perhaps introduce some grounding techniques before continuing. Learn more about trauma-informed therapy.
- It Helps Learn Healthy Coping Skills
A lot of trauma survivors tend to develop coping skills that have taken them through the difficult situations but that haven’t been quite healthy. And, those strategies have definitely been necessary at one point. But, they may no longer be serving a good purpose in your current life. So, trauma-informed counselling will help you build some healthier coping mechanisms that will ultimately improve your resilience and emotional regulation.
- It Recognizes That Healing Is Not Linear
Progress rarely follows a straight line. And that is something that trauma-informed counsellors definitely understand. So, they normalize the fluctuations and help clients understand that healing is sure to take time, and that they will notice periods of both visible improvement and setbacks.
- It Addresses the Mind-Body Connection
Finally, these professionals understand that trauma can have a profound impact on your body. And they acknowledge the mind-body connection by incorporating body awareness into their treatment approaches when possible. This can help clients learn how to recognize physical signs of stress, as well as gradually rebuild a sense of safety within their own bodies, which is undeniably of crucial importance.