What is Trauma Informed Therapy?
Learn more about trauma informed therapy, including its benefits and how to get access to counseling.
Table of Contents
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Learn More About Ripple Ranch Recovery Center
Our team is standing by to discuss your situation and options. Your call is fully confidential, and no obligation is required.
Understanding Trauma
Trauma informed therapy is a modern approach to psychotherapy that considers the impact that traumatic experiences have on an individual’s well-being. It is an approach to therapy practice that helps therapists provide support and healing to clients who have encountered trauma or abuse. The goal of trauma focused psychotherapy is to support clients in recognizing their strengths and creating a safe, comfortable environment to heal from past traumas.1

Learn More About Ripple Ranch Recovery Center
Our team is standing by to discuss your situation and options. Your call is fully confidential, and no obligation is required.
Call Us 24/7
Learn More About Ripple Ranch Recovery Center
Our team is standing by to discuss your situation and options. Your call is fully confidential, and no obligation is required.
Causes of Trauma
- Childhood abuse or neglect
- Sexual assault or rape
- Witnessing violence (accidents, war)
- Grief from the loss of a loved one
Symptoms of Trauma
Depression and anxiety
Sexual assault or rapeHypervigilance (being constantly on guard)
Nightmares and flashbacks
Lack of trust in others
Dissociation
Frequent panic attacks
What Trauma Informed Therapy Can Help With
Positive Outcomes of Trauma-Informed Therapy
- Coping Skills: People who have gone through traumatic events may have difficulty coping with their emotions and feeling safe in their environment. Trauma-informed therapists help teach patients how to cope with stress healthily to maintain emotional stability and avoid reliving the trauma in the future.
- Self-Care: Survivors of trauma often neglect their own needs. Trauma-informed therapists will teach patients how to better care for themselves and their health. A healthy self-care routine will also help reduce anxiety, depression, and panic attacks.
- Avoid Destructive Thoughts: Trauma therapy can benefit those who are struggling with self-harm or suicidal thoughts due to trauma.
Principles of the Trauma-Informed Approach
Physical and Emotional Safety
Collaboration
Therapists collaborate with their clients on treatment goals during trauma counseling. This allows patients to take control of their recovery process throughout their trauma therapy journey.
Transparency
Peer Support
Cultural, Historical, and Gender Awareness
Humility and Responsiveness
Benefits of Trauma-Focused Therapy
Learning about trauma
Re-establishing safety
Identifying causes or risks
Developing healthy coping skills
Decreasing in traumatic stress symptoms
Practicing trauma processing or integration
Key Ingredients of Trauma-Informed Organizational Practices
Trauma-informed organizational practices are vital to improving the mental health and well-being of individuals affected by trauma. A trauma informed care model is based on the knowledge that trauma affects how people think, feel, and behave. It also recognizes that trauma is complex, impacts all areas of life, and can be caused at almost any time, due to the varying symptoms that people may have related to their trauma.5
How to Accomplish a Trauma-Informed Therapeutic Environment
- Leading and communicating about the transformation process
- Engaging patients in organizational planning
- Training clinical as well as non-clinical staff members
- Creating a safe environment
- Preventing secondary traumatic stress in staff
How to Know if a Therapist is Trauma-Informed
Role and Responsibilities of a Trauma-Informed Therapist
- Use active listening skills, such as paraphrasing and clarifying.
- Encourage you to set goals for therapy that are within your control, such as improving your relationship with a family member or learning to manage stress.
- Ask questions instead of making assumptions about what happened to you or why you have certain emotions or behaviors.
- Help you find ways to build trust in yourself and others, even if it takes time, instead of focusing solely on problem-solving at first.

Get Trauma Informed Care at Ripple Ranch Recovery
We offer several different treatment options using a trauma informed approach. We are a family of care providers committed to our effective, one-stop services promoting long-term recovery and wellness. Our supportive staff is here to help you every step of the way and create a specific treatment plan for you or your loved one’s needs.
Reach Out and Begin Healing
For more informed therapy and trauma focused care, please reach out to Ripple Ranch Recovery and we can start trauma-informed care as soon as possible.
Resources
- 1https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/trauma-informed-care-what-it-is-and-why-its-important-2018101613562
- 2https://www.isst-d.org/public-resources-home/fact-sheet-i-trauma-and-complex-trauma-an-overview/
- 3https://www.cdc.gov/cpr/infographics/6_principles_trauma_info.htm
- 4 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4396183/
- 5 https://www.gov.scot/publications/trauma-informed-practice-toolkit-scotland/pages/4/#:~:text=Key%20principles%20of%20trauma-informed%20practice%20%201%201.,Collaboration%20%20...%205%205.%20Empowerment%20%20