At Gold Coast Health and Performance we operate under trauma-informed care (TIC) principles. Trauma-informed care approaches patients’ healthcare needs in a manner that takes into account any trauma that they may have experienced. A key goal of trauma-informed care is to prevent any re-traumatisation that could prevent patients from continuing to seek care.
This allows both the practitioner and patient to experience a high level of trust and safety, and build a relationship based on communication and respect. Operating under TIC as Exercise Physiologists can help us understand our patients better and ensure that the exercise plan we prescribe aligns with your personal vision.
There a 6 principles of TIC that provide the patient with the opportunity to feel empowered on their health journey:
- Empowerment, Voice & Choice
- Safety
- Trustworthiness & Transparency
- Peer support
- Collaboration & Mutuality
- Cultural, historical & gender issues
Over the coming months, we will go through each of the principles in detail to help you collaborate with your health providers and reach your long-term health goals.
Empowerment, Voice & Choice
Do you feel empowered on your current health journey? Before deciding on a health professional to work with, it is important to understand if they are focusing on your strengths and supporting your journey rather than coercing you into a treatment that is not right for you.
It can be difficult to apply this principle across every area of your health journey. Sometimes you just want a massage because it makes you feel good in the moment. You may have an acute injury that requires a clinical application within a certain time frame. However, if the health practitioner you are seeing makes you feel scared or intimidated, you are allowed to turn around and walk out the door. There are instances where a particular therapy will work better for you and it is the practitioner’s role to provide you with the best strategies to help your circumstance. Please remember that you are speaking to a trained health professional who has studied the benefits of different therapies, but don’t be afraid to ask a lot of questions.
There is rarely a one-size fits all program when it comes to exercise. Although at Gold Coast Health & Performance, we offer a few different pathways for our clients to follow, each pathway will involve individualised exercise prescription for a home or gym-based environment. The programs we offer planned in collaboration with our clients to make sure you are getting the most out of it. It is important that you feel empowered, and have been supported in the decision making, choice and goal setting to determine your program.
“The organization fosters a belief in the primacy of the people served, defined by those served in resilience, and in the ability of individuals, organizations, and communities to heal and promote recovery from trauma.”
SAMHSA’s 2014 – Trauma and Justice Strategic Initiative
You know what you can start to do, you know how to ask for help, and you know the triggers/thoughts/emotions that make it feel more difficult for you. Don’t doubt your capacity to change. But understanding change in all areas of life can be challenging, so empower yourself first, and then seek health professionals or support from those that contribute to that feeling.
Click below for further reading on the subject and keep an eye out for the next instalment!
Adverse Childhood Experiences and Trauma-Informed Care in Rehabilitation Clinical Practice
Nationwide efforts for trauma-informed care implementation
Psychological Trauma in the Context of Familial Relationships
Health Empowerment Theory as a Guide for Practice
Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach
