Trauma-Informed Therapy Begins With Safety

Trauma-informed care is not a single type of treatment; it is both a philosophical and clinical approach that influences how care is delivered to trauma survivors at every level of care. A trauma-informed approach is the recognition that traumatic events are common, that their effects often extend into every area of a person’s functioning, and that treatment must minimize the possibility of re-traumatization while establishing safety, trust, and empowerment.[1]

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the five core values of trauma-informed care include safety, trustworthiness and transparency, peer support, collaboration and mutual understanding, and empowerment, voice, and choice.[2] These core values are not just aspirations at Agape; they are incorporated into how our clinicians interact with patients, how our clinical environment is developed, and how each interaction with a patient is approached.

At Agape, trauma-informed care is not limited to one program or one therapist. Rather, it is the standard of care across our entire team. Every provider who works with patients at our facility is trained in trauma-informed approaches, ensuring that the therapeutic environment itself is a source of safety and healing rather than inadvertent harm.

Trauma changes the nervous system. When someone experiences a traumatic event, the brain’s threat response mechanisms are activated in ways designed to protect us.[3] However, when these mechanisms remain active long after the threat has passed, they become the source of continued distress. Flashbacks, dissociative disorders, avoidance behaviors, hyperarousal, and emotional dysregulation are not signs of “weak” or “flawed” thinking. They are the nervous system’s learned responses to overwhelming experience.[4]

Effective trauma treatment works by helping the nervous system to complete the processing interrupted by trauma. Unlike symptom management alone, effective trauma treatment engages the brain’s capacity for memory consolidation, altering how traumatic memories are processed and retrieved to eliminate their power to disrupt daily life.

Agape uses several evidence-based trauma-specific models to treat patients, targeting different aspects of how traumatic experiences are stored and expressed. 

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) focuses specifically on developing new thought patterns and behavioral responses that currently contribute to maintaining symptoms associated with traumatic experiences. 
• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) uses bilateral stimulation techniques to help with reprocessing traumatic memories, reducing their emotional intensity, and integrating them into existing memory structures. 
• Somatic-based therapies address the physical aspects of traumatic experiences that CBT may not adequately address. 
• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) enhances emotional regulation and distress tolerance skills to help manage intense emotions without avoiding situations or engaging in self-destructive behavior.

At Agape, the specific combination of trauma-focused therapies included in a patient’s treatment plan is determined by a thorough clinical assessment and refined continuously based on the individual’s response, readiness, and progress.

Trauma-informed therapy can help anyone who has experienced trauma that continues to affect their quality of life, their ability to function, or their overall mental health. 

This includes:

• Children and adults living with a diagnosed PTSD after being exposed to a traumatic event
• People who have experienced childhood trauma such as abuse, neglect, or adverse childhood experiences
• Those who have lived through complex trauma resulting from prolonged or multiple stressors, such as living with domestic violence, having a chronic medical condition, or enduring ongoing abuse
• People who have survived a single-incident traumatic event such as a car accident, assault, or natural disaster
• People whose trauma is related to addiction or substance use disorders or other mental health conditions
• Military, veterans, firefighters, police officers, emergency responders, and others exposed to occupational trauma

You don’t need a formal diagnosis to receive trauma-informed care. If past trauma is currently negatively impacting your relationships, your sense of safety, your ability to perform your job, or other areas of your life, trauma-informed therapy can help.

In most cases, trauma does not exist independently. Research shows a strong relationship between traumatic experiences and the development of additional mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety disorders, substance use disorders, personality disorders, and dissociative disorders.[5] For many people, a substance abuse problem develops as a way of coping with unresolved trauma, and effective treatment needs to address both issues simultaneously.[6]

Agape integrates trauma-informed practices throughout our entire continuum of care. Whether a patient comes to our program looking for relief from PTSD symptoms, struggling with a mood disorder, or dealing with substance use disorders, we assess, acknowledge, and treat the trauma underlying all of these concerns. Our goal is to treat the whole person, not just the symptoms that brought them to our door.