If you are reading this, chances are you’ve lived through difficult, painful, or overwhelming experiences. You may already know that finding the right provider can feel daunting—especially when you’re trying to heal from trauma. One of the most important things you can look for in a mental health provider is whether they practice Trauma-Informed Care (TIC).
Trauma-Informed Care is more than a therapy style—it’s a framework for how providers understand, interact with, and support people who have lived through trauma. It means recognizing that trauma is systemic and upheld by oppression and can affect an individual’s mind and body. Using this approach aspires to ensure care is delivered in a way that feels safe, empowering, and healing.
Without a trauma-informed approach, individuals may be at increased risk of being re-traumatized in therapy—through lack of safety, judgment, or being misunderstood. A provider who doesn’t approach care with this lens might unintentionally cause harm by minimizing experiences, overlooking triggers, or recreating dynamics of powerlessness. That’s why TIC is vital.
Below are the six principles of Trauma-Informed Care (from https://ttiinc.org/trauma-informed-care/), and how they guide the therapeutic process.
1. Safety
Safety is the foundation of healing. In trauma-informed care, providers prioritize creating both physical safety (a calm, private, secure space) and emotional safety (respectful communication, nonjudgment, and clarity about what to expect in therapy).
Why it matters: Individuals who have experienced trauma need to know they won’t be harmed or blindsided in therapy. Without safety, it’s hard to begin healing.
2. Trustworthiness & Transparency
Healing requires trust. Trauma-informed providers are open and transparent about policies, fees, confidentiality, and the therapy process. They explain what they’re doing and why, so nothing feels hidden.
Why it matters: For people who’ve been betrayed, lied to, or controlled in the past, honesty and predictability rebuild the ability to trust.
3. Deep Understanding of Trauma
Trauma-informed providers have received extensive training in understanding how trauma impacts the body, spirit, and mind. There is attention to the nervous system and an emphasis on getting in touch with and healing the body.
Why it matters: Trauma, especially chronic trauma, often requires people to disconnect from their bodies. Reconnecting in a safe way, in a safe place, and with a safe person is critical to healing.
4. Collaboration & Mutuality
Rather than seeing the provider as “the expert” and the client as “the patient,” TIC emphasizes partnership. You bring your lived experience; your provider brings their training. Healing is built on mutual respect and shared decision-making.
Why it matters: Trauma often strips people of power and choice. Collaborative care restores your voice in your own healing.
5. Empowerment, Resiliency, & Voice
Trauma-informed providers focus on your strengths, resilience, and ability to make choices for yourself. They avoid pressuring you and instead give options, respecting your readiness to take steps at your own pace.
Why it matters: Individuals who have experienced trauma deserve to reclaim agency. Therapy should never feel like someone else is taking control away again.
6. Cultural, Historical & Gender Issues
TIC recognizes that trauma doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It’s shaped by culture, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, and history (including systemic oppression, discrimination, or violence). Providers working with TIC commit to culturally affirming care that honors your identity and experiences.
Why it matters: Healing is incomplete if care ignores the social and cultural realities that shaped your trauma experience and recovery.
Why Trauma-Informed Care Matters
When individuals work with providers who aren’t trauma-informed, they may experience:
- Feeling judged, blamed, or misunderstood
- Being pushed into sharing before they feel ready
- Having triggers overlooked or dismissed
- Experiencing a power imbalance that mirrors past harm
These experiences can make someone shut down, distrust therapy, or even feel retraumatized. Trauma-informed care helps prevent this by centering your safety, voice, and healing at every step.
Final Thoughts
Trauma-Informed Care is not just an approach—it’s a commitment to doing no harm and fostering healing in a way that empowers survivors. When seeking a provider, you might ask:
- “How do you practice trauma-informed care?”
- “What steps do you take to ensure client safety and empowerment?”
- “How do you integrate cultural understanding into your work?”
Remember: You deserve care that honors your experiences, builds your sense of safety, and supports you in reclaiming your life. If you are interested in learning more about working with a trauma-informed therapist, contact us or schedule a no-cost consultation with one of TREC DC‘s trauma-informed therapists.
