Essential Trauma Concepts
Basic theory and concepts that are essential to all trauma-informed care.
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Our Essential Concepts: Therapist Experience
Research has repeatedly demonstrated that, regardless of clinical theory or technique, the therapeutic relationship is an extremely powerful factor in positive therapeutic outcomes. As therapists then, we, ourselves, are the most important tool of our craft. Our personal history, identities and present experience enter the therapy room with us and influence the clinical relationship. As…
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Our Essential Concepts: Community Formation
The essential work of treating complex trauma and human relationships is best done in the context of a professional community. Community can provide the support and accountability that is essential to an ongoing practice.
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Our Essential Concepts: Anti Oppression Lens
Traumatic wounding is not only potentially part of someone’s history, it may also be part of their ongoing present. Systems of oppression create harm, impact individuals and their relationships, and diminish central nervous system regulation in a real and measurable way. Contacting and naming the impact of oppression through the patient’s life story is a…
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Our Essential Concepts: An Integrated Approach
There is no single model that can address all the complexity of human experience and suffering. Therefore, it is important that we wrestle with the task of integrating neurobiological understanding with relational approaches to develop an approach that is unique to each person with whom we are on the journey.
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Why We Incorporate Somatic (Body-Centered) Therapy
By working with both the mind and the body, we can deepen our understanding of ourselves and create new and lasting patterns.
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Remembering What We Know About Trauma
Though it can seem like “Trauma-informed treatment” is a recent concept in the field of mental health, awareness of the impact of traumatic events has been present since the beginning of contemporary mainstream psychological thought.
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Building a Somatic Vocabulary
You might be familiar with the “feelings wheel” – a helpful tool in building awareness of emotions that bring more specificity to our experience, especially when trying to communicate it to another person. Identifying our feelings can also help us identify our needs, ways to cope, increase our understanding of self, sense into boundaries, or…
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Starting Small: Building Capacity for Present-Centered Awareness
A history of trauma can make it difficult to feel present. Often in an effort to stay safe, our mind and body pull us into our past or become hyper-vigilant about our future. Though these strategies are adaptive and often helpful in surviving traumatic experiences, when they become habitual we can be left feeling out…
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What’s in a Gender?
Recently, a cis person introduced me with the sentence, “This is Hannah and she uses they/them pronouns.” The man who said it is kind and well-intentioned; it wasn’t a malicious incident, but it does exemplify a slippage that a lot of cis people get caught in. He knew that gendering me correctly was respectful and…
