Trauma-informed care is an approach to therapeutic healing that emphasizes the recognition of trauma and its impact on individuals. This approach differs from some other forms of counseling in that trauma-informed care is a holistic therapy. Trauma-informed care addresses the root causes of mental and emotional health concerns, focusing on principles that go beyond simply treating symptoms. Trauma-informed care has become a relevant approach to therapy in recent years due to shifting attitudes toward trauma. Over 70% of adults, or more than 200 million people, have experienced trauma at some point in their lives. Through a trauma-informed approach to counseling and therapy, these people can seek healing in a safe, judgment-free environment.
The Symptoms of Trauma
Trauma can take on many forms, and its effects may be felt for months or even years into the future. Some people who have experienced trauma develop symptoms that may include:
• Self-blame
• Substance abuse and addiction
• Difficulty communicating with others
• Trouble maintaining healthy relationships
• Mood swings and emotional shifts
Trauma-informed care addresses these concerns by focusing on healing from trauma instead of addressing harmful behaviors. This approach helps patients work through traumatic experiences in order to heal emotional and mental wounds. As patients progress in their healing journey, they are able to address their symptoms as they address their hurt.
Understanding the Principles of Trauma-Informed Care
To provide a consistent experience, trauma-informed care involves core principles across counseling environments. Understanding the principles of trauma-informed care can improve outcomes and foster progress as patients and care providers work together to find solutions. Care providers recognize the sensitive nature of trauma as well as the individualized nature of healing from it. For this reason, you can expect to experience the same core guidelines from all care providers who practice trauma-informed care. Core principles of trauma-informed care include:
Safety
Counselors create safe environments free from harm or the threat of harm. They adjust guidelines to meet each participant’s unique needs for psychological safety. In some cases, they modify the counseling environment to enhance safety. In others, they may avoid certain words or topics until participants progress further in their counseling journey. The goal is to help you feel comfortable discussing difficult experiences and topics, fostering open communication.
Trust and Transparency
Open communication is encouraged in order to foster trust between care providers and patients. As stated by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the role of trust in trauma care is an essential component to support open communication. Care providers understand that building trust takes time. Trusting someone new in the wake of traumatic experiences can be difficult, so care providers take the time necessary to build trust and demonstrate trustworthiness. This process helps to foster open communication, a key component in the healing process.
Peer Support
The sharing of experiences is encouraged to foster peer support during counseling sessions. Having the support of others who can empathize with your experiences can improve outcomes and help you feel comfortable sharing. During any type of group counseling, care providers set guidelines to protect the interests of all patients. If a patient feels uncomfortable sharing in a group setting, care providers can work one-on-one with that patient to find solutions or help overcome obstacles to group sharing.
Collaboration
In trauma-informed counseling, all participants work collaboratively as equals to remove the development of power dynamics. This care collaboration helps to remove barriers to open communication and honest expression. A collaborative approach also provides opportunities for patients to offer feedback without fear of reprisal or judgment. This feedback helps care providers tailor their strategies to deliver personalized therapy.
Empowerment
Participants empower one another to build on strengths rather than focus on deficits. The goal is to take back power from experiences perceived to have removed it in the past. To ensure these core principles are in place, care providers seek patient feedback. This allows for improvements while empowering participants to have a voice and control over their experience. Counseling staff also undergo specialized training developed to address the unique factors involved in trauma-based recovery.
How Trauma-Informed Care Supports Mental Health Recovery
Trauma-informed care offers a range of benefits for participants and care providers. It may be the correct choice for addressing concerns ranging from post-traumatic stress disorder to general anxiety disorder. Below are some ways in which both patients and care providers benefit from trauma-informed care.
For Individuals:
Improved Treatment Outcomes
The focus on trauma-informed care is to allow participants to work through the effects of trauma in a healthy, safe manner. By recognizing trauma as a root cause of pain or harmful behaviors rather than focusing on the behaviors themselves, trauma-informed care tends to produce improved treatment outcomes. Many patients find this approach to feel less judgmental. Instead of applying pressure to make big changes all at once, trauma-informed care providers work at a comfortable pace to address concerns in a way that leads to positive adjustments in behavior.
Reduction in Re-Traumatization
According to SAMHSA, re-traumatization happens when patients encounter triggers that make them re-experience past traumatic events. The risk of re-traumatization is often greatly reduced when approaching therapeutic treatment using a trauma-informed care model. Providers of trauma-informed care take precautions to avoid re-traumatization through specialized education and training. Certain words or topics may be left out of conversations until a time in which the care provider feels the patient is ready to discuss them. Everyone processes trauma differently, so the healing journey is uniquely tailored to each individual.
For Care Providers:
Enhanced Satisfaction and Retention
Care providers offering trauma-informed therapy tend to experience greater satisfaction with their work and demonstrate increased patient retention. These outcomes are generally attributed to the difference care providers are able to make in the lives of others using trauma-informed methodologies.
Reduced Workplace Stress and Burnout
Care providers also tend to experience lower levels of workplace stress and burnout when practicing trauma-informed care. This can once again be attributed to the difference these care providers make and the progress they see in their patients. Because trust is such an important concern among participants in trauma-informed care, care providers also tend to feel a stronger connection to the patients they treat along with a sense of commitment to bring about positive outcomes.
Mahajan Therapeutics’ Approach to Trauma-Informed Care
Mahajan Therapeutics is a provider of mental health and addiction treatment services. We offer trauma-informed counseling in a safe, nurturing environment where patients are free to discuss their experiences in ways that feel comfortable to them. Our goal is to provide assistance, support and guidance during the healing and recovery processes as patients and care providers explore different approaches to address past trauma and addiction in healthy, meaningful ways.
Kyam’s Story of Success
By integrating a trauma-informed approach to counseling alongside the implementation of best practices, we can assist patients in overcoming perceived obstacles to live healthier lives. We’ve celebrated many success stories using this approach, including the story of Kyam M.
Kyam came to Mahajan Therapeutics after experiencing trauma for much of his life. To deal with this trauma, he faced challenges with substance abuse and addiction. Our care providers helped Kyam look beyond the symptoms of addiction to get to the root of what caused these behaviors.
Through counseling, trauma recovery methods, resilience therapy and ongoing support, Kyam has completely changed his life and now feels a sense of purpose and belonging. He believes that overcoming trauma and addiction has helped him to feel more present, and he is proud to give back to his family.
Steps to Find Trauma-Informed Addiction Treatment
If you’re ready to take back control over your life from trauma or addiction and embrace your full potential, help is available. We encourage you to contact Mahajan Therapeutics to speak with one of our caring advisors, who will guide you toward the first steps of your healing journey. We also encourage patients to ask questions as we believe that honest, open communication is essential for success in healing trauma. Consider asking a provider:
- Can you share your professional background?
- How much experience do you have working with trauma survivors?
- Which therapeutic approaches do you typically use for trauma treatment?
- Will you involve loved ones in the treatment process?
- In what ways do you measure progress during the trauma recovery process?
- Are there any resources or support methods available outside of therapy sessions?
We will gladly provide details about the services available in your area and the insurance options we accept.
Contact Mahajan Therapeutics Today for Help Understanding the Principles of Trauma-Informed Care
Mahajan Therapeutics wants you to know that you’re not alone, and hope is available. Contact us today to speak with an advisor who can provide more information about your first steps. At Mahajan Therapeutics, your journey toward healing starts with understanding.
