Target Audience: General Public
By: Natalie Schrader Gilstrap
The words “trauma” and “trauma-informed care” are starting to become more popular as the years go on- buzz words of sorts. Depending on where you land politically, you will have different understandings, feelings, & opinions about these words. For some, these words are scary & confusing. For some, these words are freeing. Sometimes, dare I say often times, words become popular because there is a need for the meaning behind them to be seen, heard, or applied. Have you ever heard the quote “cliché is cliché for a reason”? Well, in my humble opinion, buzz words buzz because some buzzing to action needs to happen. However, the reality is that the words “trauma” and “trauma-informed care” are important for the healing of many survivors & thrivers all over the world.
There are beau coups of research and material out there that a simple google search can assist with on the topics of trauma and trauma-informed care (TIC). We could go to trainings for days upon days to learn more about types of trauma experiences, the ACE study, impact of trauma experiences & responses holistically on the person and in communities, neuroplasticity, resilience, trauma-informed care, and etc. This would only scratch the surface of what we do know. There is so much that we have no clue about yet!
“Trauma” is a universal word that puts our common humanity on display. Trauma is not rare! We all have experienced or will experience hardships in this life. For some of us, a hardship will be a traumatic experience that came and went. For others of us, this experience rewires responses in our brains that will interrupt our daily life. Some will struggle with these responses for a long time, and others of us will taste the healing ability of our brains through support, resources, professional help, & time.
If trauma is such a prevalent part of the human experience, should we not acknowledge it, learn more about it, & learn how to respond in love, compassion, & humility to people who are struggling? “Trauma-informed care” (TIC) is a group of words that points out the need to care for people who are experiencing trauma & having trauma responses in healthy & helpful ways. TIC is a wonderful framework that was originally created for services providers in the medical field, I believe. And if I am remembering correctly, it has been slowly adopted by many types of service providing fields, non-profit agencies, churches/faith communities, & other organizations, especially in the last two decades or so. However, I personally also see it as a framework anyone can apply to their life to be therapeutic to those around them. (Spoiler Alert: Stay tuned for more on that). TIC’s focus is on helping individuals, groups, and communities build up their resilience and heal. It has four overarching goals to see helpers realize the impact trauma can have, respond in appropriate ways, recognize signs of trauma responses, and resist re-traumatization. It has six Core Principles that are objectives of how to achieve those goals that deal with safety; trustworthiness & transparency; peer support & mutual self-help; collaboration & mutuality; empowerment, voice & choice; and, cultural, historical & gender needs.
The words “trauma” and “trauma-informed care” are not rocket science words, political words, nor are they curse/dirty words. They are words that matter- words that lead us to deeper awareness & knowledge; empathy & compassion; and, humility in action. These words have been buzzing, and honestly, I couldn’t be happier. May these words BUZZ so much that we all take a good look at their true meaning and actually apply it to our hearts and lives.
PS) If you would like to learn more, I would be honored to do a life-long learning consultation with you or plan a training for a group in order to get some resources for where to start, to learn some basic knowledge about these topics, and to brainstorm ways to apply it to the way you interact with people around you. Let me know by clicking on the contact page and reaching out!
Stay Mindful, Thoughtful, and Hopeful,
Natalie Schrader Gilstrap, LMSW
Proximity LLC
(c) Intellectual Property of Proximity LLC 2022
References:
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018, July 09). Infographic: 6 Guiding Principles To A Trauma-Informed Approach. Retrieved August 02, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/cpr/infographics/6_principles_trauma_info.htm
SAMHSA. (2014). SAMHSA's Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach. Retrieved August 02, 2020, from https://store.samhsa.gov/product/SAMHSA-s-Concept-of-Trauma-and-Guidance-for-a-Trauma-Informed-Approach/SMA14-4884
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