Trauma-Informed Therapy

What is Trauma-Informed Therapy?

Simply put, it is an approach that focuses not on what is wrong with you, but with what happened to you.

Trauma can come in all shapes and sizes. It isn’t only exposure to acts of violence or threats but may also be experiences you had as a child. Growing up with a mental ill parent, divorce, an incarcerated parent, or even a parent neglecting to give you what you needed. Chronic neglect is trauma. Abuse of any kind is trauma. An initial study by the CDC on Adverse Childhood Experiences finds that 61% of all adults experienced at least one traumatic event in their childhood.

Trauma-informed therapy involves acknowledging the impact these experiences have had on your central nervous system, your emotional and mental health and your body. It is not necessarily about a specific intervention but rather tailoring interventions in the context of your trauma history and specific needs. By maintaining a space for both physical and emotional safety, co-regulation occurs, which aids the client in healing.

For more information about Adverse Childhood Experiences, check out these Fast Facts by the CDC.