Every person in the world knows and has experienced trauma in their lifetime. Although unfortunate, there is no denying the fact that a well-trained mind and spirit knows how to stay resilient during difficult experiences in life and bounce back to normalcy in no time. It is estimated that almost 70% of adults in the U.S. have experienced some type of traumatic event at least once in their lives, which makes up about 223.4 million people. It is difficult for one to look at the brighter side with such horrendous statistics. This is a very natural and pertinent question that might boggle anyone’s mind and this is exactly where the role of Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) comes into play.
Trauma is a very likely thing to happen in life, and each one of us has or will face some type of trauma in our lives which, quite interestingly, makes us all uniquely congruent. The nature of trauma may be physical or emotional or, in some cases, both. When it occurs, the sufferer not only loses their own sense of self but also their sight of others, their self and their beliefs about the world. This further aggravates the agony and may lead to Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a psychological disorder arising from prolonged and untreated trauma and traumatic experiences. What may work like an elixir and equip the person with the right set of skills to sift through the grind is TIC.
What is Trauma-Informed Care?
TIC, as the name suggests, is an approach in which individuals are not just taken care of, but also understood, validated and empowered in order to help them win over the adverse effects of trauma. The core point in this type of therapy is that TIC recognizes and acknowledges the presence of trauma and how far-reaching its impacts may be. The therapist, caretakers, and the team will work with a complete paradigm shift as they endeavor to stay emphatic, concerned, and consistent in bringing the person out of strain and invigorating them.
As trauma may occur for various reasons including violence, abuse, rape, loss of a loved one, break up or divorce, natural disasters, etc., TIC caters to the specified issues and effectively addresses the problem at heart. Before we review how TIC helps in one healing and regaining a sense of ‘self’, it is equally consequential to take a bird’s eye view of how prevalent this issue is.
The Prevalence of Trauma
Like any other issue, trauma comes in many shapes, forms and intensities. Depending on experience, the patient may present themselves with vivid or covert symptoms. It is important to mention that there are some widely known types of traumas, while some are lesser known; the reason for this is not their intensity but how they are perceived by the masses in general. For example, there was once a time that women going through postpartum depression were invalidated and provided with little to no support as they were thought to be overreacting or being selfish and heartless. In the same manner, many traumatic experiences are rationalized by the sufferers because they want to feel normal and unaffected by its opposing repercussions.
Reports indicate that a woman is beaten up every 15 seconds in the US, and about 70% of youth that experience a traumatic phase end up falling a victim of PTSD. This issue ranges from mild to excruciating trauma.
Now what are the lesser known traumas that people go through without recognizing it? Well, the main issues we see are divorce, a break-up, failing an exam, not getting a dream job, betrayal from a trusted one, or a loss of any other sort. These issues are usually accepted as part of reality, and people tend to force themselves to act normal and move on since these are happening everywhere. What happens is that the person forcefully tries to lead a normal life and keeps on curbing the tears, talking, and sharing, which unfortunately leads to the worsening of the trauma and ending up being a patient of PTSD.
The well-known traumas, however, have a slightly different story. While widely acknowledged as painful experiences, the world at large rarely validates or empathizes with the one going through them. For instance, a rape victim is judged and sometimes victim-shamed. A person facing domestic violence might be made to realize that they must find the core issue behind their abuse. More generally, people who speak about their problems are often heard for a moment and then told about bigger problems in life, thus invalidating their experiences and belittling their trauma. Such things deteriorate the situation for the traumatized individual, thus the trauma stay unresolved.
A handful of people, however, seek professional help and utilize therapies to assist them in coping with their traumas and empower them to self-heal and face further adversities in a better way. As long as there is life, there is a possibility of misfortune.
What Does Trauma-Informed Care Look Like?
The approach of TIC fosters on the idea of helping an individual come out of pain by following the five basic principles. These five principles steer the way towards the ultimate goal i.e. healing and empowerment. Let’s dive into these principles and comprehend how TIC works like.
The Five Guiding Principles in Coping with Trauma
- SAFETY: Well, as per its name, the first step to kick start Trauma-Informed Care is to establish the physical and emotional safety of the individual seeking help. When the seeker is sure of his/her mental and physical well-being, the ground is set for further steps.
- CHOICE: The therapist offers a variety of choices in order to gain the trust of the client and to make him/her comfortable enough to open up. This also improves his/her esteem as they feel in power to choose what they deem the best for themselves.
- COLLABORATION: With the help of the support staff, the therapist establishes the environment of cooperation and endorsement. The client is heard without any judgment and is only triggered enough to open up.
- TRUSTWORTHINESS: Following the first three steps religiously, the therapist succeeds in gaining the client’s trust since this is the major setback of facing a trauma that the person stops trusting their own self and the world at large.
- EMPOWERMENT: After the attainment of the milestone i.e. the formation of trust between the therapist and the client, the clinician can empower the patient by using both specific traditional and alternative therapies.
TIC is certainly not a magic wand that will eliminate all traumas in one go, but it can certainly work wonders, as it can both one come out of them, as well as equip them with the right skills to bravely face future trauma.
Individual Online Therapy in Florida, Idaho, South Carolina, and Utah
At Calming Transformations Counseling, our therapists understand life can be hard and can affect our emotional and mental health. We also serve those with anxiety, stress, depression, or relationship issues, who may be religious. Sessions can be held through online therapy in the states of Florida, Idaho, South Carolina or Utah, or walk and talk therapy in Hillsborough County, Florida. Book an appointment or contact us today to schedule a session and take the first step toward a more peaceful life.
