Understanding Trauma-Informed Care: A Counsellor's Approach to Healing

I acknowledge that working with trauma is complex and not everyone is ready to explore it fully. That’s why I take a gentle approach, allowing my clients to go at their own pace, ensuring they feel safe and supported every step of the way,   - Rachel

If you've seen my social media posts about trauma and are curious about what trauma-informed care involves, this blog post is for you. As a counsellor specialising in trauma-informed care, I assist clients in comprehending and resolving their past experiences, acknowledging how these experiences affect their current lives.

What is Trauma-Informed Care?
Trauma-informed care is a therapeutic approach that recognises the influence of trauma on an individual’s life and aims to establish a safe environment for healing. This approach involves not only understanding trauma but also validating and addressing the underlying causes of the issues my clients are currently experiencing.

How Trauma-Informed Care Works in My Counselling Practice
In my sessions, trauma-informed care involves several key techniques and principles designed to support and empower clients:

Creating a Safe Space
Safety forms the basis of trauma-informed care. I strive to create a welcoming and non-judgmental counselling environment to establish a therapeutic relationship that encourages clients to share their experiences openly.

Validating Experiences
A lot of my clients tend to downplay their trauma. They often say things like, "It wasn't that bad," or "others have had it worse." During our sessions, I make sure to validate their pain and experiences, letting them know that their trauma is real and significant. This helps the client to process and remove any unconscious blocks.

Exploring the Past
To assist my clients, I employ gentle and supportive techniques to help them explore their past experiences. This is crucial for understanding how past traumatic events may be impacting their current challenges. For instance, a client who struggles with persistent irritability and anger may recognise that these emotions are linked to their past and have become an armour to protect themselves over the years.

Understanding Root Causes
Exploring Root Causes: Together, we work to connect the dots between past traumas and present challenges. This deeper understanding is often a pivotal moment for clients, as they recognise that their defence mechanisms, initially developed for self-protection, may now be hindering their growth. For example, a client might come to see that their difficulty in trusting others stems from past betrayals or abandonment. Yet, without awareness of these deeply ingrained patterns, these behaviours continue to impact their relationships and overall well-being.

Empowerment and Voice
I encourage clients to take an active role in their healing process. This involves making choices about their treatment and challenging me when necessary. By doing so, clients can feel empowered, have a voice in the therapeutic relationship and practise effective communication.

Identifying Trauma
Some clients may not initially recognise that they have been traumatised. Trauma-informed care helps safely identify these hidden traumas. Through our conversations, clients may come to understand that what they thought were normal experiences were actually traumatic events that have significantly impacted their lives.

Why Trauma-Informed Care is Important
Trauma-informed care is essential because it provides a framework for understanding the effects of trauma. It helps clients:

• Recognise Trauma: Many people do not realise that their current struggles are linked to past traumatic events.
• Validate Pain: Acknowledging the reality of their experiences is a critical step in healing.
• Promote Healing: By creating a safe and supportive environment, trauma-informed care facilitates deeper healing and recovery.

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Conclusion
As a trauma-informed counsellor, my goal is to support clients in understanding and healing from their trauma. Trauma-informed care is a powerful approach that validates clients' experiences, uncovers the deep-rooted causes of their issues and empowers them to take control of their healing journey. If you’re curious about how this approach can help you, I’m here to provide a safe and understanding space for your journey.