Let’s Talk About It: Trauma-Informed Care

About half of us will experience a traumatic event at least once in our lives, according to the APA. An unexpected event can be difficult for the brain to process, evoking unsettling feelings and leaving the individual’s body stuck in a stress response.

While it’s not completely understood why some people have an easier time adapting than others, it is known that experiencing a potentially traumatic event is common.

Because living with the effects of trauma is a common experience for many and our students are likely to encounter those affected in their career, two Adler instructors want to share their knowledge and to inspire curiosity regarding perspective and treatment of trauma.

Professional Development and School Service Center Coordinator; Full-Time Faculty Member, Student Advisor

The key to trauma-informed care is a shift in the paradigm – rather than looking at what’s wrong with someone, focusing on what happened to them.

Trauma-Informed Care changes the framework for how to understand an individual’s misbehavior, the fictive goals that they pursue when they no longer feel able to belong and contribute effectively.

Current studies support the idea that trauma can impact us on a genetic level. It is possible for trauma to influence fight or flight responses, parenting styles, and DNA across generations.

Full-Time Faculty Member, Student Advisor, Co-editor of the AGS Journal

In my dissertation, I studied trauma-influenced parenting styles. I found that a significant number of parents who have undergone trauma are then overcompensating in their philosophy of parenting.

I gathered early recollections (an Adlerian assessment tool) of both traumatic and positive events to individually understand their view of experiences and found something interesting: the parents were overcompensating in a way related to their traumatic event.

Usually, we view trauma from a negative angle of the experience, but there is so much power in realization. That is, by focusing on feelings of belonging and altruism, parents were able to gain insight and, in some cases, were able to adjust.  

Trauma cannot be fully examined in a single blog post, but we want to spark curiosity and exploration about trauma-informed care. It’s an important topic in the mental health community and the classroom, so we encourage you to reach out to Doug or Antwan if you’d like to learn more.