“Trauma-informed” is more than a trendy phrase—it’s a promise. At Vivus Counseling, it means creating a space where your past is honored, your present is supported, and your healing is never rushed or forced. If you’ve experienced trauma—whether a single event or a long history of hurt—how you’re treated in therapy matters. Here’s what trauma-informed care truly looks like and why it’s essential to your healing journey.
Safety Is the Starting Point
Trauma-informed care begins with one key question: “What does safety mean to you?” Before a therapist ever digs into your past, we ensure the environment—emotional, physical, and relational—feels safe. That could mean letting you set the pace, using grounding exercises, or simply checking in to see how you’re doing before diving into hard stuff. Because healing doesn’t happen in fear. It happens in trust.
We Focus on “What Happened to You,” Not “What’s Wrong with You”
In trauma-informed care, your reactions—whether it’s shutting down, lashing out, or going numb—aren’t seen as flaws. They’re adaptations. Protective strategies that helped you survive. We work with those survival patterns gently and compassionately, always holding the belief that you did the best you could with what you had. And now, it’s safe to build something new.
Therapy Is Collaborative—Not Prescriptive
Trauma-informed therapists don’t sit across from you with a checklist or a stopwatch. They sit with you. Together, you create the plan. You set the pace. You decide what matters most right now. And when you’re ready to explore difficult emotions or memories, we’ll be right there with you—never pushing, always honoring your readiness.
Your Identity and Culture Are Not “Side Notes”—They’re Central
Whether you’re navigating generational trauma, racial injustice, systemic harm, or marginalized identity experiences, trauma-informed care makes space for it all. You are not just a diagnosis or a story of survival. You’re a whole person with a whole history—and your therapist should treat you that way.
Trauma-informed care isn’t about fixing you. It’s about meeting you—exactly as you are—and walking alongside you as you reclaim your sense of safety, strength, and self. Because healing isn’t just possible—it’s your birthright.