What is trauma-informed practice?
In my profile and bio’s I refer to myself as a trauma-informed practitioner, but what does this really mean?
When we speak of trauma we are often talking about “Big T traumas”. These are the explicit traumatic events that are undisputedly upsetting; acts of violence, threat to life, exposure to graphic and disturbing images etc.
However, we cannot discount the impact of “Small t traumas”, especially the cumulative nature of them and how this can impact people’s thoughts, feelings and behaviours throughout their lives.
“Small t traumas” can be subtle yet menacing. They are about our needs not being met, not being seen or heard for who we are, a lack of emotional expression, and denial of our true self. These not only impact our sense of self, but also our relationships with others, and the world around us.
Rather than an explicit catastrophic event, these insidious small t’s chip away at our self-confidence and feelings of safety, often resulting in a persistent state of hyper-vigilance, stress, or dissociation, making the world a difficult place to navigate.
In my experience as a trauma therapist, I am forever in awe of the human ability to process and recover from trauma, both big and little t. However, often it is not the graphic and disturbing elements of the event that dominate the work, but the relational factors that impeded a person’s ability to make sense of and recover from their experience.
These factors can include feeling disregarded, or overlooked, a perceived lack of support, a sense of powerlessness due to external factors, or barriers that got in the way of the right support being available.
As a trauma-informed therapist, I remain non-judgemental about what a client perceives to be “traumatic”. I am aware that it can be the smallest paper-cut that causes the most pain, welcoming all experiences into the therapy room to be explored equally.
Recognising trauma:
Ultimately a trauma response initiates to help someone survive a situation that feels beyond their capabilities. We need to flee to keep ourselves alive, fight off a threat, or freeze in the hope the danger will pass. This is a proven and successful response when we allow the cycle of trauma to complete, manage the threat and return to a place of safety.
However, sometimes we can get stuck in the trauma cycle, living with a sense that the risk is never gone, and we must be constantly on guard to keep ourselves safe.
This can present in many ways depending on the individual and what adaptations they have made to their lives to make this state bearable. Perhaps they struggle to trust people, or confront people before they can be confronted, rely on self-medicating, or even people-please to prevent confrontation.
My work always has an appreciation and respect for the varied ways people have developed to keep them safe and make their experiences feel manageable. These need to be explored without judgement as even the most destructive defence mechanisms will have been established to try and benefit the person.
Triggers:
As with the experiences themselves, I believe there can be “Big T triggers” and “small t triggers” aligned with their trauma counterparts.
A “Big T trigger” could be something like the smell of burning at a family BBQ when you have experienced the “Big T trauma” of being involved in a house fire. Your nervous system will respond accordingly to this perceived threat as the smell of burning has been intrinsically linked to a risk to your life.
A “small t trigger” may be something more subtle such as you not being given a particular project at work which makes you feel that your boss doesn’t trust you. Physiologically the response is akin to the Big T example, however, logically you know your life is not in danger, but it brings up feelings of unsafety and risk.
Being trauma-informed means fostering an appreciation of the physiological impact of trauma and how this can influence people’s responses to change, uncertainty, and perceptions of support. I encourage exploring all triggers with curiosity and kindness.
Providing a safe space:
When it comes to developing a trauma-informed therapeutic space, it is vital to move away from blame, moving away from asking “what is wrong with you?”, and being curious about “what happened to you?”.
It is important to acknowledge that while someone’s mental health, trauma responses and adapted behaviours are not that person’s fault, it is their responsibility, and coming into therapy is a huge step towards the ultimate form of self-care – allowing yourself to heal from trauma.
For me, being trauma-informed is about respecting and holding space for people’s unique experiences and allowing them to safely explore these without judgement. It’s important to normalise trauma responses, find acceptance for the incredible ways your brain has tried to protect you, and support recovery with compassion and hope that there is life after trauma.
