Trauma-Sensitive Care
Definition of trauma
Trauma shapes and informs our interactions with ourselves and others. It has a profound impact on our body, mind and spirit, often resulting in isolation, disconnection, learned
helplessness, shame, guilt, rage, self-loathing and adverse physical conditions, including chronic pain and addiction. Traumatic events
can be shocking and terrifying. These can include violence between people, abuse of any kind, neglect, institutionalization, disasters or
war. Trauma often includes betrayal by a trusted person or institution.
The Transformation Center's Statement on Trauma-Informed Care
What we at the Transformation Center want is trauma-informed care for our people with mental illness or extreme states that need it. We are educating ourselves and our peers about the prevalence of trauma in people with mental health issues. We need to educate providers, such as DMH and their service providers, psychiatrists, therapists and mental health workers about this as well. We need therapists that address the issue and offer trauma-specific interventions and treatment. We want people treated with respect and an awareness of the impact their trauma has had on them, by all the professionals who treat them. This includes the doctor, therapists, providers, the ER personnel, the Best teams and the insurance companies. We want people to become partners in their own treatment. Ultimately, we want people to be treated in a way that empowers them to take control of their lives and to recover. We feel that addressing the trauma at the heart of so many people's life experience is, for some, the key to bringing that empowerment about.
Healing from Trauma: One Person's Perspective
- More Information on Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care:
- Some Suggestions for What to Do If Distressed:
- Model Of Growth and Recovery