What Do We Mean By “Trauma-Informed”?
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Being trauma-informed is a concept that has gained traction in recent years, and this is a good thing for everyone. We at Restorative Approach are deeply committed to working from this lens and we have provided public education and workshops on this to support others to work this way. Anyone can be trauma-informed at any time in any context, and we are all better because of this.
The easiest way to understand trauma-informed care is its singular goal: do no further harm. Statistically, more folks will experience at least one trauma in their lifetime than not, and when we go through something that overwhelms our ability to cope, this may create inner wounds that stay with us long after the traumatic event has ended. When we have these wounds, our physiology is rewired and certain things in our present might trigger a response that is rooted in the harm of our past.
Trauma-informed care calls us to recognize what trauma looks like, and to respond in ways that don’t add harm to someone who is already struggling. This lens, this way of working and being with others, is so important because it helps us create communities that respond with care and compassion instead of judgment and retraumatization.
Conflict is a great example of what can bring up trauma responses. As restorative practitioners it’s vital that we support safe and healing conversations that don’t escalate or re-victimize people. We lean on the 4 Rs of trauma-informed care when working with others to make sure that we build trust and foster voice and choice at all times. In sum, the 4 Rs are:
Recognize trauma - A key thing to understand is that each and every one of us will respond differently when faced with trauma. We all experience the world in unique ways and what traumatizes you may not traumatize me. Knowing this, we use the four categories of trauma responses broadly to interpret the behavior we see when working with others. You may have heard of fight, flight, freeze and appease. These are the most common ways that our bodies automatically react when we are triggered by something that is processed as a threat to our wellbeing. As practitioners, we must be emotionally attuned to others so we can catch these responses and respond in the right ways.
Respond with care - we focus on building trust and safety, offering options, giving space for voice and choice, having physical environments that support people, and prioritize a consent lens as much as possible. This helps minimize the risk of perpetuating harm as we navigate challenging emotional territory.
Resist retraumatization - There are many ways that we as practitioners can make sure we don’t cause any additional harm. We, for example, will never ask someone to recount something that they don’t wish to revisit. We are also trained in how to respond when people go into a fight, flight, freeze or appease state. Sometimes trauma responses can be difficult to witness or work with, and that’s okay. Historically and today a lot of institutional responses punish people who exhibited trauma responses instead of offering gentleness and understanding. A great example of this kind of retraumatization is when those in positions of power view trauma responses as noncompliant behavior and respond with punishment. This is sadly common in our current traditional justice system. At Restorative Approach we know not to take trauma responses (fight, flight, freeze and appease) personally - trauma is kind of like a ghost reappearing in the present moment. Someone is haunted by something. It isn’t about us as practitioners. We are instead motivated to show up with kindness and to work with folks to better understand what is needed to prevent and respond to triggering moments.
Build relationship: Coined by the lovely Shannon Hardy, a Haligonian social worker, this 4th R is particularly important. The restorative lens is entirely focused on working relationally. We put relationships first and focus entirely on our connections to those we work with before we shift into any kind of action. Do we have trust and understanding? Have folks used their voice and expressed their choice? Are folks consenting to what we’re going to do? Have we checked in with folks about their concerns, needs, and boundaries? What is the impact? What do folks hope to see going forward? When folks experience trauma, their power is taken away. We as restorative practitioners want to restore the loss of power so people feel that they have agency. Restorative conversations are powerful in making sure we honour the other 3 Rs of the trauma-informed lens.
Responsibility and accountability are critical pillars of restorative work. A trauma-informed lens doesn’t mean we give folks a free pass to behave in harmful ways. But when people lash out, when they disappear, when they shut down, or when they are unable to use their voice, we know that people are likely struggling with something, and we can choose to respond with care and compassion.
In our practice, being trauma informed means that we honour where people are, we give folks voice and choice, we recognize the symptoms and signs of trauma, we honour the 4 Rs of trauma-informed care, we don’t take trauma responses personally, we prioritize safety and comfort wherever possible, and we do whatever we can to support people so they can engage in meaningful, restorative ways.
It is our responsibility as the practitioners guiding a restorative process to hold a trauma-informed space. We are committed to this work. The beauty of being trauma-informed is that it helps us understand and feel closer to those around us. When we see the world from this lens, it becomes clear that many of us are simply hurting from moments of our past, and we can respond differently to break the cycle of trauma. When we do this, we create caring, compassionate communities that we all long for!
To learn more, watch this free 30-minute educational video created by founder Shila LeBlanc for Legal Information Society NS.