Trauma can impact every aspect of someone’s life. If you want to help them heal, you need to understand this trauma and the specific ways it is affecting them. This means understanding trauma informed care.
Safety
Care cannot be effective if the patient does not feel safe, and trauma survivors often feel unsafe because of their experiences. The therapeutic environment must be calm, predictable and nonthreatening, with reliable routines. Establish expectations and boundaries, explain yourself clearly and take active steps to remove stressors.
Trust
Courses in trauma informed practice training, such as https://www.tidaltraining.co.uk/mental-health-training-courses/trauma-informed-practice-training/, will teach you to build trust with people who have previously been hurt, and are therefore understandably cautious. Honesty, consistency and transparency are essential. Explain everything you do and why.
Empowerment
One thing that often happens with trauma is that someone has their voice and ability to make free choices taken away. Trauma informed care empowers them to take control of their lives by letting them actively state their opinions and participate in decision-making.
Collaboration
Often, trauma involves abuse by a person in power. You may also be in a position of power over the patient, which can create distrust. While it is important to maintain boundaries, it is vital that everyone can be heard and has a say in what is done as a group, regardless of their position.
Peer support
It is often easier for a trauma survivor to bond with someone whose experiences are similar to their own. Understand this and create space where people can communicate and support each other, rather than establishing a sense of competition.
Cultural and historical awareness
Historical marginalisations, such as race, gender, sexuality and disability, have an impact not just on experiences of trauma, but also on communication and trust of authority. There needs to be an active effort to account for these types of marginalisation, and to ensure cultural competence.
Once you understand the principles of trauma informed care, you will be able to adjust your practice to suit every patient with their own unique experiences of trauma.