Postcard 4

Last week, there was a workshop at Haverford: Trauma 101-- An Overview of Trauma-Informed Care. The workshop was designed to "develop shared language and knowledge in trauma-informed care," and was aimed towards those working or volunteering in positions where they were caring for or interacting with people who had experienced severe trauma. We learned about the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study, which found that thse who had experienced traumatic experiences during childhood were at a far higher risk for physical and mental illness later in life, and we also talked about the four aspects of the "trauma-informed care framework:" 1) Prevention, 2) Avoid Triggers, 3) Respond Appropriately, and 4) Therapeutic Process. 

I thought it was interesting to contrast the approach that this workshop took with the writing in The Art of Being a Healing Presence, both of which address how to act in a situation where you are working with people who either have undergone or are currently undergoing things that can complicate the relationship or interaction. While the book speaks mainly in broad, general terms, the workshop dug into more specific things to be aware of and how to deal with those things.