How to Recognize a Trauma-Informed Therapist

Sep 18

What the heck is "trauma informed" therapy? You've probably heard this phrase thrown around a lot lately. It's becoming a thing--which is freakin' GREAT! It's also pretty ill-defined, so here's my take.

As a note, ALL THERAPY SHOULD BE TRAUMA INFORMED. So I'm really just describing good therapy here I guess…

Trauma informed therapy co-creates an environment in which you can access a feeling of safety. This doesn't mean you'll feel safe 100% of the time, and that's okay. It just means that safety, feel safe, is a primary goal between you and your therapist.

To me, this means orienting the room so that clients can easily leave if they need to. It means orienting clients to how much time we have. It means using my language intentionally. It means clearly sharing expectations and boundaries of the therapeutic relationship and maintaining them. It means showing up honestly and authentically, being trustworthy and transparent.

Trauma informed therapists understand the impact of trauma on the body, nervous system, emotions and thoughts. They understand trauma on both an individual and systemic level. They acknowledge racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, etc. as experiences of trauma, and actively work to be allies to marginalized communities and support clients in processing their histories of discrimination and prejudice. They empower clients through choice and collaboration.

Being trauma informed means that we understand that symptoms and behaviors arise as survival mechanisms of trauma, rather than pathologies or problems. We understand that these skills worked at the time of trauma, but are no longer serving you. We work to find your strengths and collaborate to find resources for you to regulate your emotions and body responses so that you can make more life-affirming choices in the present, rather than responding as if you are still in the trauma.

Trauma informed therapy comes primarily from a place of compassion and belief in your resilience. YOU SURVIVED YOUR TRAUMA AND THAT IS A TESTAMENT TO YOU.

How to recognize a trauma informed therapist:

-They won't blame you for what happened to you;

-They will help you understand how your symptoms or behaviors are connected to what happened to you;

-They will explore with you the impacts of systemic oppression, prejudice and discrimination, and be an ally to marginalized communities;

-They will help you find your strengths to cope, soothe and regulate;

-They will be trustworthy, transparent and clear about their boundaries;

-They will collaborate with you, offer you choices, and respect the ones you make;

-They won't define you by your trauma, but will see you as a WHOLE PERSON.

Even if you aren’t going to therapy specifically to work through trauma or PTSD, it’s important to have a trauma-informed therapist. These characteristics enhance and enrich the therapy process regardless of why you’re there.