What Is Trauma-Informed Therapy?
By David Hennessy, Clinical Psychologist
What Is Trauma-Informed Therapy?
Trauma-informed therapy is not a single technique. Instead, it is an evidence-based way of working that recognises how common trauma and adversity are, and how deeply they can shape the nervous system, emotions, beliefs, and relationships. As a result, trauma-informed therapy prioritises safety, choice, collaboration, trust, and strengths, and aligns with contemporary Australian and international clinical guidelines.
Trauma-Informed Therapy Explained Simply
Trauma-informed therapy is an evidence-based approach to psychological care that recognises the impact of trauma and chronic stress on the nervous system. It prioritises safety, choice, collaboration, trust, and strengths, and avoids pathologising understandable survival responses.
A Shared Human Experience
Trauma can arise from a single overwhelming event. However, it can also develop through repeated experiences of threat, neglect, instability, or lack of safety. In practice, what matters most is not only what happened, but how a person’s nervous system experienced those events and adapted in order to cope.
Because of this, trauma-informed therapy gently shifts the focus away from asking what is wrong with you. Instead, it explores what has happened and how your mind and body learned to respond. In doing so, therapy recognises survival responses rather than treating them as personal failures.
Core Principles of Trauma-Informed Therapy
Trauma-informed therapy is guided by several core principles. Together, these principles shape how therapy is delivered, regardless of the specific therapeutic model used.
- Safety First. Therapy prioritises emotional and psychological safety before techniques or disclosure.
- Choice and Control. Therapy restores agency by inviting choice about pace, focus, and depth.
- Collaboration. Lived experience and clinical knowledge inform the work together.
- Trust and Transparency. Clear explanations and consistent boundaries support trust.
- Strengths and Adaptation. Many symptoms reflect understandable responses to past threats.
Key Principles of Trauma-Informed Therapy
- Safety and predictability
- Choice and shared decision making
- Collaboration and respect
- Trust and transparency
- Strengths and adaptation
What Trauma-Informed Therapy Looks Like in Practice
In practice, trauma-informed therapy focuses first on stabilisation and regulation. For example, therapy may include grounding strategies, attention to bodily sensations, and skills that support nervous system regulation. This early phase aims to build a sense of safety within the therapeutic relationship and within the body itself.
Many of these responses are shaped by early relational experiences and are often best understood through the framework of attachment wounds, which describe how patterns of emotional safety and threat develop within close relationships.
Once safety and stability improve, therapy may draw on evidence-based treatments such as trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy or EMDR. However, the therapist delivers these approaches flexibly and collaboratively. As a result, therapy adapts to the person, rather than forcing the person to adapt to the therapy.
What the Evidence Says
Overall, research into trauma-informed care continues to grow. Systematic reviews suggest that trauma-informed approaches can improve engagement and some psychological outcomes. At the same time, outcomes vary depending on setting and implementation quality.
Therefore, the strongest evidence remains with specific trauma-focused treatments delivered within a trauma-informed framework. This balanced position appears consistently across Australian and international clinical guidelines.
Gentle Realism About Healing
Importantly, trauma-informed therapy does not promise quick fixes. Instead, healing usually unfolds gradually and in a nonlinear way. Progress may involve improved emotional regulation, clearer boundaries, or greater self-understanding.
Over time, these changes tend to support longer-term psychological wellbeing. Even small shifts can matter when they occur within a safe and respectful therapeutic relationship.
Who Can Benefit
Trauma-informed therapy can support people experiencing anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, complex trauma, burnout, emotional overwhelm, or relationship difficulties. Importantly, a formal diagnosis is not required to benefit from this approach.
Enquiries and Appointments
If you would like to explore trauma-informed therapy, you can make an enquiry or book an appointment here:
https://hennessyclinicalpsychology.com/contact/
Frequently Asked Questions
What Does Trauma-Informed Therapy Mean?
Trauma-informed therapy refers to an approach to psychological care that recognises how common trauma and adversity are, and how they shape the nervous system. It prioritises safety, choice, collaboration, trust, and strengths.
Is Trauma-Informed Therapy Evidence-Based?
Yes. Trauma-informed therapy is supported by a growing evidence base and is endorsed within Australian and international clinical guidelines. It is most effective when combined with evidence-based trauma-focused treatments.
Do I Need a Trauma Diagnosis to Benefit?
No. A formal diagnosis is not required. Trauma-informed therapy can support people experiencing chronic stress, anxiety, depression, or emotional overwhelm.
Does Trauma-Informed Therapy Involve Reliving Trauma?
No. Trauma-informed therapy does not require retelling or reliving traumatic events. Therapy focuses first on safety and regulation, with trauma processing only occurring if and when a person is ready.
Who Is Trauma-Informed Therapy Helpful For?
Trauma-informed therapy can be helpful for anxiety, depression, trauma-related distress, burnout, emotional regulation difficulties, and relationship challenges.
References
- Herman, J. L. (2015). Trauma and recovery. Basic Books.
- van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The body keeps the score. Penguin.
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2014). SAMHSA’s concept of trauma and guidance for a trauma-informed approach.
- World Health Organization. (2023). Psychological interventions for post traumatic stress disorder in adults.
- Phelps, A. J., et al. (2022). Australian guidelines for the prevention and treatment of acute stress disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and complex PTSD. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1177/00048674211041917
- Lewis, N. V., et al. (2023). Trauma-informed approaches in primary healthcare and community mental healthcare. Health and Social Care in the Community. https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/4475114
- Han, H. R., et al. (2021). Trauma-informed interventions. PLOS ONE, 16(6), e0252747. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0252747
- Chu, Y. C., et al. (2024). Outcomes of trauma-informed care for women experiencing intimate partner violence. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 31(2), 203 to 214. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpm.12976
- Phoenix Australia. Australian Guidelines for PTSD. https://www.phoenixaustralia.org/australian-guidelines-for-ptsd/
