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Section 4: Making it happen – turning knowledge into action
Trauma-informed, relationship-based practice
In this section you will dive deeper into what trauma-informed, relationship-based practice is all about. Such practice combines an understanding of trauma with the importance of building strong, supportive relationships.
Building supportive relationships involves creating trust, understanding, and mutual respect. It requires active listening, empathy, and being there for others in both good times and bad. By offering encouragement, showing appreciation, and fostering open communication you help strengthen bonds and create a positive, supportive environment for one another to thrive in.
It’s important to remember that all children and young people need love, support, caring and trusted relationships to thrive, especially in times of adversity, and we can build these relationships through trauma-informed practice.
Learning outcomes
After completing this section, you should be able to:
Discuss the significance of valuing and respecting an individual’s lived experiences and perspectives in effective trauma-informed, relationship-based approaches.
Evaluate your own interactions and practices through a trauma-informed, relationship-based lens, identifying areas for improvement in building positive relationships and maintaining self-care for emotional well-being.
The box below provides a selection of course download options for use offline or on other devices.
4.1 Putting it into practice – what is important?
You have read about Jemma’s experience of care and how this has impacted on her life. You have also learned that it’s important for people who have been affected by trauma to feel safe.
Using Jemma’s story, here are some examples of how you can create emotional safety in your relationships:
Seek to understand – In Jemma’s context, you could ask her ‘Tell me a bit more about how you are feeling’, ‘Can I check I’ve understood that right?’.
Listen actively – Maintain a comfortable and relaxed body posture and avoid interrupting – be aware that some people may find direct eye contact intimidating. Nod and use verbal cues like ‘I see’ or ‘mm-hmm’ to show your focus. Express empathy with replies like ‘I can appreciate why you might feel that way’ or ‘that sounds so tough’.
Maintain consistency and boundaries – If you were supporting Jemma, you might achieve this by saying, ‘Jemma, I want to make sure you feel comfortable and know what to expect. We can decide together what is acceptable to either of us and how we can best develop our relationship. We’ve set our meetings for every Tuesday at 2 p.m. and I’ll do my best to keep it that way. If there’s ever a time when either of us need to reschedule, we will try to let each other know at least one day in advance. It’s important to me that we keep things clear and consistent for you’.
Practice empathy – You might share your feelings with Jemma and say, ‘I can see how much this is affecting you, and it’s really hard to talk about these things. I want you to know that it’s okay to feel hurt and scared. Sometimes, I feel overwhelmed too when there are things coming up and so much uncertainty about them. But I’m here with you, and we can get through this together’. Be mindful of your own boundaries and don’t overshare with the person you are interacting with.
Understanding that all behaviour is communication – Sometimes, we experience an emotional response to how others react, particularly when we are under work-related stress. Instead try and understand the triggers that are behind the other person’s behaviour and communication – take a moment to pause and focus on the underlying emotions that have been shared. You might say to Jemma, ‘I see that you’re upset right now, and that’s okay. I always want you to feel safe and able to share your feelings’.
Think differently – Sometimes we try to change another person’s perspective or convince them that they could see things differently. Instead, consider what you can do to help the other person manage how they are feeling. With Jemma, you might say, ‘We can’t control how others behave or communicate, but we can focus on what you need right now. What makes you feel calm and supported? Together we might be able to find ways for you to take care of yourself’.
Responsive communication – use appropriate language – It’s important to communicate in a way that suits the person that you are interacting with. This includes verbal and non-verbal communication. Avoid using jargon or official language. Ask the person how they would like you to communicate with them and keep checking with them that they can understand. Consider how you might have supported Jemma as her social worker. For example, Jemma could work closely with you to create a plan around any transition or change? This would help Jemma to understand what is coming next as she would be more actively involved in the process.
4.2 Consider the individual’s voice
When we refer to a person’s voice, this signifies a person's unique perspective and identity. Sharing one’s voice, is the ability to share thoughts, feelings, and opinions, both verbally and non-verbally.
Recognising and respecting a person’s voice is particularly important when interacting with children and young people who often may not have the opportunity to express their feelings or thoughts.
It is essential to look beyond spoken communication, acknowledging actions, responses and participation. This is particularly important when communicating with babies, non-verbal children and young people.
In advocacy and rights contexts, ‘voice’ often emphasises the importance of individuals, especially marginalised groups, to have a say in decisions that affect their lives. The care-experienced programme at The Life Changes Trust worked with young people, to discuss the value of having a more active voice in such decisions.
Here are some of the things that the young people reported as being important to them when engaging with adults during various life stages:
Click on the play button below to listen to and read their comments.
This feedback is featured in the following 16-minute webinar by the Life Changes Trust you can watch (Life Changes Trust, 2021).
4.3 Positive interactions
You have already learned about the window of tolerance. By understanding your own window of tolerance, this can help you to better understand the experiences and reactions of others.
Helping people stay within their window of tolerance involves creating an environment that promotes emotional regulation and safety.
Here are some tips to help with this, as shown in the interactive table below.
Click on each of the seven headings to learn more.
It takes time to build positive relationships but adopting a trauma-informed approach when working with people who have experience of care, and/or have experienced trauma, can help to strengthen relationships.
4.4 Trauma-informed principles in practice
You have learned how trauma-informed principles can be used to help create environments that are safe, healing and empowering for individuals who have experienced trauma. These principles should be applied in various settings – such as healthcare, education, social services and workplaces – to ensure that interactions and systems do not re-traumatise individuals.
Think about how you can use the principles for all interactions and where appropriate the person you are supporting or caring for. Try using the principles as questions that will prompt you, such as shown in the interactive table below.
Click on each of the five headings to learn more.
Activity 4: The five trauma-informed principles
In this activity, you will explore the five trauma-informed principles using Jemma's case study.
By completing this activity, you've deepened your understanding of the five trauma-informed principles and how they apply to real-life scenarios.
You've practised matching reflective questions and statements to their corresponding principles, enhancing your ability to foster trust, safety, and empowerment in your interactions.
This exercise not only promotes a trauma-informed approach but also helps create meaningful connections that can significantly contribute to the healing journey for those impacted by trauma.
4.5 Final reflections
Reflecting back on Jemma’s story, we can now revisit and look at what might have been better from what we have learned about trauma-informed, relationship-based practice. Jemma’s childhood experience has highlighted the need for a trauma-informed approach in our communities. Recognising the effects of trauma on the thoughts, feelings and behaviours of children is essential for providing the support they need.
Although Jemma’s experience of moving to different homes was unsettling for her, with trauma-informed support from her carers and social worker she was able to develop meaningful and trusting connections. By accepting her trauma with empathy and understanding, her carers became better able to meet her needs.
We learned that this important scaffolding also had an impact at secondary school where Jemma benefitted from the formal and informal relationships that were nurtured. Gradually, with this consistency at home and school, Jemma became sociable and academically engaged as she learned to trust others, invest in relationships and build her resilience.
The long-term benefits to well-being of trauma-informed, relationship-based support for Jemma, meant that her overall physical and emotional well-being both in the present, and into the future, were much more positive, enabling her to thrive into young adulthood and reach her potential.
4.6 Conclusion
In this course you have explored the definition of trauma, its various types, and its effects on relationships.
You have gained insight into different trauma responses, particularly the five F trauma responses (fight, flight, freeze, friend, and flop), as well as the concept of the window of tolerance. The course has also introduced you to the trauma-informed principles and practical guidance on how to apply them in everyday interactions. You have also learned that as well as caring for the people you interact with, it is important to consider your own self-care.
The course has emphasised that positive relationships rooted in secure attachment play a crucial role in recovery. It also highlights that setting boundaries is essential for emotional and physical well-being, while emotional safety fosters healthy interactions. You have learned about the value of listening with empathy and that the way we communicate – both in words and actions – can significantly impact relationships, highlighting the importance of using language thoughtfully to promote understanding and positivity.
We hope that you have enjoyed completing the course and are feeling more confident about being trauma-informed and relationship-based in your interactions and relationships. If you are interested, there are more resources to explore in the References and resources section.
If you would like to achieve your digital badge and Statement of Participation, please complete the end-of-course quiz.
Share with others
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4.7 End-of-course quiz
Now that you’ve completed the course, it’s time to try the quiz.
The quiz has 10 questions. It has a pass grade of 70% and provides you with feedback depending upon the mark you achieve. You can take the quiz as many times as you would like until you pass.
If you have completed all the elements of this course's learning and successfully pass the knowledge check, your digital badge will be sent to you via the email address you used to enrol on the course (usually within 36 hours).
Now go to the end-of-course quiz
Click here: Quiz
References and further resources
Please note that some references refer to the content of the self-care booklet used on this course and are marked (SCB).
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Acknowledgements
Our grateful thanks go to the following reviewers and contributors to the course content.
Dr Autumn Roesch-Marsh
Children in Scotland
Duncanrig Secondary School.
Each & Every Child.
East Lothian Champions Board
East Lothian Council.
Kari-Ann Johnstone
Kim Bradie
Life Changes Trust
Lisa O'Leary, National Leadership Network.
Liz Middleton
Resilience Learning Partnership.
Ruth Emond
Sarah-Jane Thomson
Tim Lewis
Tremanna
Who Cares? Scotland.
The following assets were used in the creation of the course content.
Image
Banner image 541746: Anna Shvets / Pexels
Self care booklet 541833: kobeza / shutterstock
541647: FoxyImage /shutterstock
537512: Svetlana Ievleva / shutterstock
537519: Nemanja Cosovic / shutterstock
537525: Christos Georghiou / shutterstock
537529: Anabela88 / shutterstock
537653: Adapted from: "SAMHSAs Concept of Trauma and Guidance for Trauma-Informed Approach", by SAMHSA, 2014.
https://store.samhsa.gov/product/samhsas-concept-trauma-and-guidance-trauma-informed-approach/sma14-4884
537660: redrawn from Scottish Throughcare and Aftercare Forum.
537667: redrawn from Scottish Throughcare and Aftercare Forum
537668: redrawn from Scottish Throughcare and Aftercare Forum
537269: SofiaV / shutterstock
537271: 3D-Man.eu / shutterstock
541669: Nevada31 / shutterstock
541670: Platopia Ideas / shutterstock
537287: Fajrul09 / shutterstock
541668: RetroClipArt / shutterstock
537469: KennyK.com Custom Mascots / shutterstock
537471: lineartestpilot / shutterstock
541671: lemono /shutterstock
537483: iQoncept / shutterstock
541672: Flat vectors / shutterstock
541667: Drawlab19 / shutterstock
Section 3 image currently watermarked 541659: AK_Art / shutterstock
538342: redrawn from Scottish Throughcare and Aftercare Forum
537078: Iriss (2018) Showcasing Community Social Work. East Lothian Champions Board.
537678: redrawn from Scottish Throughcare and Aftercare Forum
537679: redrawn from Children in Scotland (2024)
537112: Barnardos (2020)
537145: [https://www.gov.scot/publications/care-experienced-children-and-young-people-fund-operational-guidance/] Reproduced under the terms of the OGL, www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence
537164: Each and Every Child and FrameWorks UK (2024) 'FRAMING
TOOLKIT' eachandeverychild.co.uk. Available from https://eachandeverychild.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Each-and-Every-Child-Toolkit-2024.pdf [Accessed 19th December 2024]
Video
2.10 Vimeo video https://vimeo.com/334642616