What are the most important things you teach mental health professionals about trauma training?
The core components of best practice trauma treatment are based on a theoretical, empirical model and should be implemented by clinicians with trauma training, supervision and expertise. There must be an awareness of cultural and ethnic identity because culture is the vehicle through which individuals learn resilience. Also, anyone who is going to be working with trauma survivors needs to be careful about vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue. We can’t help but take in some of the emotional pain and we are at risk of experiencing symptoms as well. Our capacity for compassionate empathy is at the core of our ability to do this work and so, self care is important. I’m not talking about major things, but reaching out to family and friends, balancing sleeping and eating habits, talking and doing your own debriefing.
