Understanding Trauma and Trauma-Informed Practices
Stop asking what's wrong and start asking what's happened
Description
Picture someone in a waiting room lobby suddenly raising their voice at the person behind the desk. One observer sees a difficult person making a scene and causing trouble. Another sees someone who feels powerless, unsafe, or unheard, and is reacting the only way they can in that moment. Same person, same lobby, two completely different responses, and the difference comes down to a single question you learn to ask. That shift, from "what is wrong with you" to "what happened to you" sits at the heart of trauma-informed practice, and it changes everything that follows.
This course helps you understand what trauma actually is, how it lives in the body long after the event, and how it quietly shapes the way people show up in your classroom, clinic, or organization. You will explore the different layers of trauma, from acute and complex to collective and intergenerational, look at the landmark ACE study and what it revealed about lifelong health, and discover the protective factors that help people thrive despite hard beginnings. From there you will turn toward practice, building environments grounded in safety, choice, collaboration, trustworthiness, and empowerment.
Picture a young child hiding under a table. One person sees a kid being difficult and refusing to comply. Another sees a child doing exactly what makes them feel safe. Same child, same table, two completely different responses, and the difference comes down to a single question you learn to ask. That shift, from "what is wrong with you" to "what happened to you," sits at the heart of trauma-informed practice, and it changes everything that follows. [Trauma FINAL.srt | Txt]
This course helps you understand what trauma actually is, how it lives in the body long after the event, and how it quietly shapes the way people show up in your classroom, clinic, or organization. You will explore the different layers of trauma, from acute and complex to collective and intergenerational, look at the landmark ACE study and what it revealed about lifelong health, and discover the protective factors that help people thrive despite hard beginnings. From there you will turn toward practice, building environments grounded in safety, choice, collaboration, trustworthiness, and empowerment. [Trauma FINAL.srt | Txt]
A gentle note before you begin: some of this content can be difficult to sit with, so give yourself permission to pause and take breaks. Thank you for being willing to engage with a hard topic in service of the people you support.
Learning Objectives
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Define the different types of trauma and identify how it can affect a the brain.
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Understand why people take on unhealthy coping strategies.
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Identify trauma-responsive strategies you can use in daily interactions.