Understanding Trauma-Informed Care
Building Safety and Healing in Every Interaction
In the helping field we often focus on strategies to manage behaviour, teach skills, or promote well-being. But beneath many behaviours lies something deeper: unresolved trauma.
Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) is an approach that shifts our perspective from “what’s wrong with you?” to “what happened to you”.
What is Trauma-Informed Care?
Trauma-Informed Care is a framework that recognizes the widespread impact of trauma and seeks to create environments of safety, trust, and empowerment. It acknowledges that trauma can affect how a person thinks, feels, and behaves.
Instead of focusing solely on symptoms or surface behaviours, TIC works to:
- Understand the role trauma plays in a person’s life.
Prevent re-traumatization by fostering safety and choice.
Empower individuals by emphasizing strength and resilience.
Why It Matters:
Research shows that 70% of adults have experienced at least one traumatic event in their lifetime (Benjet et al., 2016). Trauma can alter brain development, stress responses and relationships. When unaddressed, it may present as challenging behaviour, withdrawal, anxiety, or aggression.
In schools, therapy, healthcare settings, and agencies such as Supportive Lifestyles Ltd., trauma-informed practices:
- Reduce behavioural incidents and escalation.
- Increase engagement and cooperation.
- Foster Resilience and long-term healing.
Trauma-Informed Care isn’t a single program or checklist; it is a mindset shift. By recognizing the profound impact of trauma and responding with empathy and structure, we create spaces where individuals feel safe enough to heal, grow, and thrive.
