Three Challenges Of Trauma Informed Practice

Question 2: What are the three challenges of trauma-informed practice? Pick one and explain how to combat the challenge.

Trauma-informed practice is an essential part of effective group work. When operating from a trauma-informed perspective, social workers will be mindful, but not assuming, of the possibility that clients may have experienced trauma (Knight, 2015). Knight (2015) goes on to say that workers must consider how clients’ past trauma carries forward and impact the client currently, in addition to being conscious of not re-traumatizing clients by asking for extensive details of the experience that the clients do not initially offer themselves. As an alternative, workers should assist clients with managing their current issues without
In regards to attitudes toward the worker, clients who have been through traumatic experiences can be mistrustful and hostile towards people in positions of authority, including the group worker (Knight, 2015). As a worker, we can combat this by coming from a place of empathic understanding of the client’s experiences, refraining from judging and making assumptions based on their outward behaviour, in addition to not taking client resentment personally. Knight (2015) discusses, in relation to the client’s trauma, that disbelief, avoidance, over-identification, and rescuing behaviour are components of countertransference. Moreover, workers are at risk of indirect trauma when working in groups where discussion of traumatic instances occurs (Knight, 2015). Within a group work setting, workers can combat these concerns by ensuring strict adherence to personal boundaries, working within ones’ scope and job title in relation to the purpose of the group, and disassociating your own experiences from the clients’. Additionally, Knight (2015) outlines that self-care including stress management and satisfying relationships can improve worker countertransference and indirect