Creating Safe and Supportive Environments
There is a common understanding that trauma has a profound impact on individuals’ lives, and it is essential to recognize the significance of creating safe and supportive environments in various settings. Whether it be schools, workplaces, or healthcare settings, implementing trauma-informed practices is crucial for fostering healing, resilience, and well-being. By incorporating trauma-informed practices, we can create spaces that prioritize safety, promote recovery, and foster a sense of belonging.
Trauma-informed approaches are a paradigm shift in how we understand and address the needs of individuals who have experienced trauma. These approaches recognize that trauma affects individuals in profound and diverse ways, and that providing support and care requires a comprehensive understanding of its impact. In this article, we will explore the key principles of trauma-informed care: safety, trustworthiness, collaboration, choice, and empowerment which are also the core values of Flourishing Minds Clinic. By adopting these principles, organizations and individuals can create environments that prioritize the well-being and healing of those affected by trauma, fostering a culture of compassion, sensitivity, and understanding.
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Author
Tina Balachandran
Tina is a licensed clinical psychologist with over 18 years of experience across clinical, aviation, and organisational settings. As a Certified Complex Trauma Professional, she uses an integrative strength-based approach to work with adults dealing with trauma and consults with organisations following critical incidents. She also works with couples, helping them learn how to replace negative conflict patterns with positive interactions, repair past hurts, and begin creating a shared meaning and purpose in their relationship.
Safety: Creating a Secure Environment
Safety is the foundation of trauma-informed care. Creating a physically and emotionally safe environment is essential for individuals who have experienced trauma to feel secure and supported. This involves promoting physical safety through measures such as clear boundaries, non-threatening spaces, and protocols for responding to emergencies. Emotional safety is equally crucial, ensuring that individuals feel respected, heard, and validated without fear of judgment or retraumatization.
Trustworthiness: Building Rapport and Reliability
Establishing trust is fundamental to trauma-informed approaches. Building a sense of trust requires consistent and transparent communication, dependability, and the fulfillment of commitments. By demonstrating trustworthiness, organizations and individuals can help rebuild trust that may have been fractured by previous experiences of trauma. This trust serves as a foundation for developing therapeutic relationships and empowering individuals in their healing journey.
Collaboration: Partnerships in Care
Trauma-informed care emphasizes the importance of collaboration and shared decision-making between service providers and clients receiving care. This approach recognizes that individuals are the experts in their own experiences and encourages their active participation in treatment planning and goal setting. Collaborative partnerships honor individuals’ autonomy and ensure that their unique needs, strengths, and preferences are considered in the provision of care.
Choice: Restoring Agency and Control
Trauma can leave individuals feeling powerless and stripped of control over their lives. Trauma-informed approaches prioritize offering choices and opportunities for individuals to exercise agency. This may include providing options in treatment modalities, involving individuals in the development of care plans, and recognizing their right to consent or decline certain interventions. By restoring choice, individuals who’ve experienced trauma can regain a sense of empowerment and ownership over their healing process.
Empowerment: Supporting Resilience and Growth
Empowerment lies at the heart of trauma-informed approaches. By fostering a strengths-based perspective and supporting individuals’ resilience, individuals are encouraged to regain control over their lives and find a sense of purpose and meaning. Empowerment involves providing resources, skills, and tools that enhance individuals’ capacity to cope with adversity, make informed decisions, and navigate their own path to healing.
Trauma-informed approaches provide a framework for creating safe and supportive environments that recognize the impact of trauma and respond with compassion and sensitivity. By adopting the key principles of safety, trustworthiness, collaboration, choice, and empowerment, organizations and individuals can foster healing and resilience for trauma healing. These principles are not limited to specific settings; they can be applied in schools, workplaces, healthcare settings, and various other contexts.
By embracing trauma-informed care, we can contribute to the transformation of systems and cultures, ensuring that those who have experienced trauma are met with understanding, dignity, and opportunities for recovery. It is through our collective commitment to these principles that we can create a society that promotes healing, nurtures resilience, and supports the growth and well-being of all individuals affected by trauma.
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Author
Tina Balachandran
Tina is a licensed clinical psychologist with over 18 years of experience across clinical, aviation, and organisational settings. As a Certified Complex Trauma Professional, she uses an integrative strength-based approach to work with adults dealing with trauma and consults with organisations following critical incidents. She also works with couples, helping them learn how to replace negative conflict patterns with positive interactions, repair past hurts, and begin creating a shared meaning and purpose in their relationship.
Bhavna is an embodiment of expression in Hindi, and what better way to convey her feelings than through the art of dance and movement. From the tender age of 5, she has dedicated her life to learning, practicing, and performing various dance forms from around the world. Dance has been her refuge, helping her navigate through pain, hurt, and worries, ultimately leading her to the path of sharing this wisdom through rhythm and movement therapy. With over 22 years of teaching experience, Bhavna has transformed numerous students, spanning kids, adults, and children with autism, using movement as a medium for both enjoyment and meditation. She firmly believes that movement serves as a non-verbal language that connects body, mind, and soul, enabling individuals to express their inner selves. As a Visharad in Indian classical dance and holding certifications in yoga, Pilates, fitness, and a diploma in special needs education, Bhavna is well-equipped to guide others on their transformative journey through dance and movement.
In her professional capacity as the Director at the Child Development Center (CDC) for Special Needs, Kamila’s role involves supervising the provision of multi-disciplinary therapy services for children with autism and related developmental disorders. Kamila strongly believes in the provision of trauma-informed, empathetic, and child- and parent-centered therapy, which includes approaches such as music therapy, play-based ABA therapy, speech therapy, feeding therapy and occupational therapy. Kamila is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), who holds a Masters degree in Disability and Rehabilitation Studies, and is currently completing her doctorate in Education with a special focus on mental health and wellbeing of mothers of children with autism. At CDC, Kamila has incorporated approaches such as mindfulness and music therapy for reducing anxiety, stress, and enhancing emotional regulation and overall mental wellbeing among children and parents of children with autism disabilities and therapists.
A pioneer and coach, she is the founder of the be.fit180o team and the QAthletics Academy. She is the first Qatari coach targeting age groups from 4 to 14 years old for running and jumping since 2019. She holds a diploma in sports club and sports institution management and is a Level 3 running and fitness coach.
Iain Tulley spent 35 years in UK Healthcare, 15 years as Chief Executive.
Moses is a Physical Literacy and Physical Activity Champion, with vast experience, of over 18 years in youth empowerment, community development, project planning, project implementation, networking, resource mobilization, and working at different levels from grassroots, national, and international levels. He has extensive experience working with diverse groups of individuals in both local and global capacities.
Amna AlMuhannadi is a certified Ayurvedic lifestyle instructor and a psychological and social counselor with over a decade of experience in the field of health and wellness. She is recognized as an influencer in promoting healthy living and wellness tourism.
Dr. Mohammed Jaham Al-Kuwari boasts a remarkable career as both a General and bariatric Surgeon and a prominent figure in the world of sports administration.
Dr. Ghuloum is a Senior Consultant Psychiatrist at Hamad Medical Corporation, Professor at Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, and an Associate Professor of clinical psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine, Qatar.
Joanna, a wife and mom of three boys, spent over a decade calling Qatar home. Transitioning from the corporate world, she recently embarked on a new journey, becoming a business owner specializing in digital marketing. Beyond her professional pursuits, Joanna is a passionate advocate for mental health, emphasizing the significance of work-life balance and prioritizing self-care for mothers, readily sharing her experiences through her blog, “Mama in Transit”.
Shefa, with over 15 years of corporate experience, is a leading figure in coaching and motivation in Qatar. Her background in corporate communications and her roles as a Life & Business Coach, Motivational Speaker, and Wellness Advocate have made her a sought-after expert. She divides her time between consulting, coaching, workshops, and delivering keynotes for various organizations. Shefa is also a prolific writer and editor, contributing to publications like The Conversation by Amanda de Cadenet and a weekly column in Gulf Times, a prominent newspaper in Qatar. Her diverse client base includes organizations across multiple industries.
Dr. Nelli El-Ghazal holds a Ph.D. in School Psychology from the Pennsylvania State University and serves as a Child and Adolescent Psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry, with an instructional role at Weill Cornell Medical College. Her extensive background encompasses experience in the U.S. school system and private practice. Since joining Sidra in 2017, her clinical focus has revolved around addressing school-related emotional and behavioral challenges, as well as devising solutions for diverse learning and psychological needs. Dr. El-Ghazal actively collaborates with local schools to establish mental health support programs and frequently conducts training for parents, students, and faculty at educational institutions. She has also contributed as a guest lecturer at HMC and the Doha Institute of Graduate Studies, and she holds an associate editor position with an international school psychology journal.
French adventurer and endurance athlete, living in Doha for the past 15 years.
Former Qatar athletic and Coach.