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In this blog, readers will learn about who is a trauma-informed therapist and what is their role. Through this information, readers will know how to identify a trauma-informed therapist and get help.
Who is a Trauma-Informed Therapist?
Trauma and mental health are deeply intertwined because of how humans perceive themselves and the world around them.
A trauma-informed therapist understands how trauma impacts different aspects of an individual's perspective, lifestyle, mental health, etc
Who is a trauma-informed therapist?
To understand what a trauma-informed therapist is, it is important to understand what the trauma-informed approach is and why is it important.
What is the trauma-informed approach?
The trauma-informed approach started somewhere in the 90s with the rise of substance abuse in the USA. Experts realized how the use of several substances was a way for individuals to deal with their past traumas. The treatment given to these individuals would fail as the professionals did not keep the pre-existing trauma in consideration within the treatment.
Since then, the trauma-informed approach has been applied to several other sectors of healthcare such as childcare, mental health, etc. The trauma-informed approach helps professionals have a perspective on how survivors of trauma can be treated with a more considerate, sensitive, and informed approach. It also helps the staff within different organizations handle the stress of working with trauma survivors.
Why is it important to have a trauma-informed approach?
The trauma-informed approach can be helpful in facilitating mental health treatment significantly. Without the trauma-informed approach, there can be significant oversight in understanding the underlying impact of the trauma.
The underlying impact often, manifests in the form of mental health issues, sometimes several years after the traumatic event occurred. This can make the job of mental health professionals very difficult if they are not equipped to identify signs of trauma. For example:
Victims and survivors of severe traumatic experiences (such as rape, domestic abuse, childhood sexual abuse, etc) may find it difficult to approach professionals who are strangers for help.
In such scenarios, professionals who are trauma-informed are equipped to handle sensitive situations carefully and make the survivors feel safe. They will also have better training in understanding how to prioritize different aspects of the resources and treatment.
In places with a history of socio-political bias, often racial, ethnic and other minorities reject professional help. With minorities, a trauma-informed professional can understand the deeper underlying history of discrimination and help them gain trust and confidence in care professionals.
Moreover, the trauma-informed approach can also make a significant difference in community interventions, especially in high-risk communities where a history of trauma is more prevalent.
Overall, the trauma-informed approach can help individuals understand and comprehend any situations which have an association with trauma. Once, professionals are able to identify issues associated with trauma, they help the individual overcome its negative impact.
How is the trauma-informed approach related to mental health?
Individuals respond differently to trauma. Trauma can have a deep impact on emotions, mood, and body. Different kinds of trauma can lead to different kinds of impacts on mental health. For instance, those individuals who’ve lost a loved one might have difficulty accepting it and often hallucinate the dead person’s presence. Similarly, victims of childhood sexual abuse have been found to have long-term difficulty in establishing trusting and intimate relationships.
Trauma and mental health are deeply intertwined because of how humans perceive themselves and the world around them. Characteristics of trauma such as suddenness and intense feelings of danger; kick start the fight or flight response in humans. In fight or flight response, the body goes into hyper mode, where all the energy is diverted towards dealing with the danger at hand.
However, for trauma survivors, that response doesn’t reside (as it should after has passed) and leads to long-term stress. This stress then manifests in the form of sleeping issues, flashbacks, unexplained pain in body parts, anger outbursts, etc.
A trauma-informed approach can identify these intense as well as subtle manifestations of stress due to trauma. Often individuals themselves don’t realize how the experience of past trauma is hindering their current mental health and lifestyle.
Even if there is no history of trauma, a trauma-informed approach can help create a safe professional environment with consideration of mental wellbeing.
Role of a trauma-informed therapist
A trauma-informed therapist understands how trauma impacts different aspects of an individual's perspective, lifestyle, mental health, etc. Generally, traumatic experiences are seen as temporary hindrance that needs to be overcome.
However, a major traumatic experience can impact different areas of an individual’s life years after the experience, if not fully resolved. A therapist who is trauma-informed can recognize the hold a traumatic experience can have on an individual. Once a therapist identifies the impact of trauma, they include it as a goal within the therapy and help the individual fully resolve it.
Moreover, trauma-informed therapists are essential in providing treatment for survivors of sexual assaults and childhood abuse, particularly for minorities. A trauma-informed therapist understands the deep-rooted socio-economic and political issues that can create obstacles for minorities to access treatments.
Such therapists are equipped to make unaware individuals understand how a traumatic experience can hinder their health, and help them resolve it forever.
Important resources
Conclusion
In this blog, readers learned about who is a trauma-informed therapists and what is their role. Through this information, readers learned how to identify a trauma-informed therapist and get help.
FAQs (Who is a trauma-informed therapist)
What does a trauma therapist do?
A trauma-informed therapist helps individuals understand how the experience of trauma impacts their mental health. They also help individuals cope with a traumatic experience and often equip the family of the survivor to handle negative feelings and emotions.
How do you become a trauma-informed therapist?
To become a trauma-informed therapist, you require a minimum postgraduate degree in Psychology or Psychiatry with clinical experience and additional certification in trauma therapy.
What kind of therapist do I need for trauma?
There are different kinds of therapies available to deal with trauma. However, the therapy that suits you best will be decided by talking to a professional. Some of the most common forms of therapy include CBT, hypnotherapy, etc.
References:
Black, P. J., Woodworth, M., Tremblay, M., & Carpenter, T. (2012). A review of trauma-informed treatment for adolescents. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie Canadienne, 53(3), 192.
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