Trauma-Informed Care
Trauma can be an experience of abuse, accidents, assaults, bullying, adversity, discrimination, lack of safety, neglect, poverty or violence, to name a few. Trauma significantly impacts your functioning, such as difficulty sleeping, having intrusive images or thoughts or memories of the trauma. Trauma can also impact your cognitive functioning as well as emotional reactions.
Trauma-informed care is a framework that recognizes an individual is more likely than not to have been exposed to a traumatic experience in their life. It acknowledges that trauma impacts you in ways you may not be aware of. In response, clinicians tailor services to sensitively meet your unique needs taking into consideration your history, culture and context of your life.
All clinicians at Optimal Moments take a Trauma-Informed Care approach.
What do I experience with Trauma-Informed Care?
Safety - Clinician creates physical and psychological safe spaces for you.
Choice - You have clear control and continuous consent of the treatment process.
Collaboration - Clinician encourages you to share power in the therapy process and decisions about your care.
Trustworthiness – Clinician remains honest, consistent and clear, while maintaining appropriate boundaries.
Empowerment - Clinician validates your experience so you feel heard and cared for.
Is it possible to Heal from trauma?
Yes! It will take time and it will be a difficult process. Healing from trauma requires patience, commitment and courage. Your clinician works with you to help process trauma so it can stop impacting daily life. Your clinician is there to "hold your hand" and guide you along the way, so that you don't feel alone and overwhelmed.
Healing feels as though when you look at your past and the traumas you have experienced, it doesn’t feel as though it is your present or future.
Why did you choose this field? Follow us as we dive into the student perspective as Ayotorimide Ariyo answers this question.