Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) is an approach in the human service field that assumes that an individual is more likely than not to have a history of trauma. Trauma-Informed Care recognizes the presence of trauma symptoms and acknowledges the role trauma may play in an individual’s life- including service staff.

On an organizational or systemic level, Trauma-Informed Care changes organizational culture to emphasize respecting and appropriately responding to the effects of trauma at all levels.[1][2] Similar to the change in general protocol regarding universal precautions, Trauma-Informed Care practice and awareness becomes almost second nature and pervasive in all service responses. Trauma-Informed Care requires a system to make a paradigm shift from asking, “What is wrong with this person?” to “What has happened to this person?”[3]

The intention of Trauma-Informed Care is not to treat symptoms or issues related to sexual, physical or emotional abuse or any other form of trauma but rather to provide support services in a way that is accessible and appropriate to those who may have experienced trauma.[3] When service systems operating procedures do not use a trauma-informed approach, the possibility for triggering or exacerbating trauma symptoms and re-traumatizing individuals increases.[3]

Re-traumatization is any situation or environment that resembles an individual’s trauma literally or symbolically, which then triggers difficult feelings and reactions associated with the original trauma.The potential for re-traumatization exists in all systems and in all levels of care: individuals, staff and system/organization.

Re-traumatization is often unintentional. There are some “obvious” practices that could be re-traumatizing such as the use of restraints or isolation, however, less obvious practices or situations that involve specific smells, sounds or types of interactions may cause individuals to feel re-traumatized.

Re-traumatization is a significant concern, as individuals who are traumatized multiple times frequently have exacerbated trauma-related symptoms compared to those who have experienced a single trauma. Individuals with multiple trauma experiences often exhibit a decreased willingness to engage in treatment.

Re-traumatization may also occur when interfacing with individuals who have history of historical, inter-generational and/or a cultural trauma experience.

A trauma-informed organization is one that recognizes and understands the profound impact of trauma on individuals and strives to create a safe and supportive environment for its employees and clients. In a trauma-informed corporation, there is a culture of empathy, compassion, and sensitivity towards trauma survivors. 

Policies and practices are designed to prioritize safety, avoid retraumatization, and foster healing and resilience. Training and education on trauma are provided to all staff members, enabling them to identify and respond to trauma-related needs effectively. 

Communication is open, respectful, and non-judgmental, promoting trust and empowerment. The corporation actively collaborates with community resources and incorporates trauma-informed principles into its services and operations. Overall, a trauma-informed corporation prioritizes the well-being and recovery of individuals impacted by trauma at every level, creating a supportive environment that promotes healing and growth.

These principles are generalizable across a variety of service settings. Rather than providing a set of practices and procedures, the principles can be interpreted and applied in ways that are appropriate for a specific type of service setting.

The Five Guiding Principles

1. Safety
2. Choice
3. Collaboration
4. Trustworthiness
5. Empowerment.

Ensuring that the physical and emotional safety of an individual is addressed is the first important step to providing Trauma-Informed Care.

Next, the individual needs to know that the provider is trustworthy. Trustworthiness can be evident in the establishment and consistency of boundaries and the clarity of what is expected in regards to tasks.

Additionally, the more choice an individual has and the more control they have over their service experience through a collaborative effort with service providers, the more likely the individual will participate in services and the more effective the services may be.

Finally focusing on an individual’s strengths and empowering them to build on those strengths while developing stronger coping skills provides a healthy foundation for individuals to fall back on if and when they stop receiving services.

At Creaturae, we believe that cycles of trauma can be broken through creating a deeper awareness of trauma – the various types of trauma and how it can manifest itself. And from there, how to deal with it firstly within yourself, so that you can have bandwidth and compassion for others with trauma.

We offer training and development programs to provide you with a foundational understanding of trauma and how it affects you (and your capacity for caring for others) at both an individual and organizational level.

Understanding the roots of your trauma and your potential triggers and how to heal from your trauma responses is fundamental to recovery.

We focus on creative somatic approaches to recover the connection between the mind and the body which is disrupted when trauma affects the brain.