6 Things to Look for in a Trauma-Informed Therapist

Finding the right therapist can be challenging, especially if you’re seeking support for trauma. Trauma therapy is a specialized approach that prioritizes safety, trust, and empowerment, recognizing the lasting impact trauma can have on your mental, emotional, and even physical health. But how can you tell if a therapist truly practices trauma-informed care? Here are six things to look for.

1. The Therapist Recognizes the Importance of Feeling Safe


A trauma-informed therapist works to make sessions feel safe and supportive. They understand that each person has a different relationship to feeling safe. Trauma therapists recognize that past experiences can leave clients feeling unsettled or on edge, so they work to co-create an environment where clients can feel grounded and secure. Checking in on your comfort level and honoring your boundaries are signs they are practicing trauma-informed care.

2. The Therapist Supports You in Feeling Resourced

Before diving deeply into difficult topics, it is important to have tools that help you feel regulated and grounded. A skilled therapist can empower you to use strategies and tools that you have already found helpful, and offer new ways to feel more regulated. Techniques like deep breathing, guided imagery, body awareness exercises or sometimes even distraction, can help calm the nervous system when anxiety, flashbacks, or overwhelming emotions arise.

3. The Therapist Recognize Trauma’s Holistic Impact


Trauma survivors often describe the experience of the body remembering, because they know that trauma symptoms can present in the body. They know firsthand how post traumatic stress can influence their emotions, behaviors, relationships, and even their physical health. 
When trauma survivors are sharing their process, the therapist reframes behaviors or reactions as understandable responses to trauma rather than personal failings. An Internal Family System therapist views defense mechanisms as protective tools that once served an important purpose. A therapist that understands trauma considers this holistic viewpoint and seeks to understand how past experiences may be shaping current challenges.

4. The Therapist Empowers You as a Partner in Therapy

Trauma-informed therapists collaborate with you on goals and treatment plans, giving you agency in your therapy. They respond to your boundaries and respect what you do not want to explore. They recognize that this can change from session to session. They check in before exploring difficult topics and track the pace of therapy to see if it works for you. Your boundaries are honored and respected.

5. The Therapist is Aware of Pacing, Especially at the End of Session

One of the goals of therapy is to support you to integrate your experiences and to better understand your process. A skilled therapist is aware of when they explore charged material in session and do their best to allow ample time to process it in session. If a client begins to bring in a painful memory near end of session, the therapist gently pauses to ask if it can be explored in the next session when there is more time for your process. They do this because it can be very dysregulating when a trauma survivor is in the midst of processing a traumatic event and the session has to abruptly end.

6. The Therapist Integrates Tools Beyond Talk Therapy


A trauma trained clinician understands that healing does not happen through talk alone. They may integrate body-aware and experiential tools that address how trauma affects both mind and nervous system. They may draw from approaches like Somatic Psychotherapy, Internal Family Systems, Somatic Experiencing, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy and mindfulness-based practices to help you build emotional regulation skills, process distressing experiences safely, and reconnect with your sense of agency. Rather than pushing you to simply revisit painful memories, they pace the work thoughtfully, incorporate grounding exercises, and pay attention to shifts in your body language, breath, and overall sense of safety.

Trauma Therapy for Clients in San Francisco 


In addition to the above, choosing a trauma-informed therapist is about finding a therapist that you feel comfortable with. If you’re looking for a trauma trained and a trauma-informed therapist, Shohreh Schmuecker, LMFT offers compassionate, personalized online therapy for clients in San Francisco and throughout California. Shohreh is a Somatic Psychotherapist and is trained in Internal Family Systems Therapy. She strives to provide a safe, supportive space to help you navigate past trauma, develop coping skills, and regain emotional balance. Schedule a phone consultation today and take the first step toward healing.

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This blog is for general information purposes only. It is not meant for a substitution for medical or mental health advice or treatment. Please see a licensed professional for medical or mental health advice and/or recommendations specific to your needs.