A large part of trauma-informed care is the therapeutic relationship the forensic mental health practitioner builds with their patient or client. It’s about treating people with respect, providing information, and empowering people to make informed choices in a safe space. It requires an understanding that people are wounded, an emphasis on curiosity and collaboration, and a need to help clients develop healthy coping skills. It considers trauma as an explanation for behaviour. It shifts the focus from “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?”
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“Lay Not Thine Hand Upon the Lad”: The Importance of Childhood Trauma for Forensic Science
We have lived with childhood trauma since Biblical times, hence the quote from Genesis, where Abraham was about to sacrifice his son, Isaac. We have become used to it. That is why helping people with childhood trauma needs preparation. That includes more than simply being well-informed about trauma and its effects on children and their development. It also includes our ongoing self-care.
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