Trauma-informed care fundamentally shifts the approach to trauma — recognizing that most trauma has trauma roots that require specific attention.
What Trauma-Informed Care Means for Trauma
Trauma-informed care for trauma is organized around core principles:
- Safety: Creating physical and emotional safety before exploring trauma
- Trustworthiness: Consistent, predictable care relationships
- Choice: Supporting client control over trauma treatment decisions
- Collaboration: Partnership rather than hierarchy in trauma treatment
- Empowerment: Building strengths alongside addressing trauma
Why Trauma-Informed Trauma Treatment Is Different
Standard trauma treatment often focuses on symptom reduction. Trauma-informed care asks: what happened that created these trauma symptoms? Addressing roots produces more lasting change.
Finding Trauma-Informed Trauma Care
Ask prospective therapists: 'What is your training in trauma-informed care?' and 'How do you integrate trauma awareness into trauma treatment?'