What Does ‘Trauma-Informed’ Mean?
You don’t need a trauma history to benefit from trauma-informed care.
Many people assume “trauma-informed” means therapy that’s only for people with obvious trauma. But in reality, trauma-informed therapy is a way of being, not a diagnosis.
It’s a gentle, respectful approach that asks:
What happened to you? (Instead of What’s wrong with you?
What does safety feel like for you?
How can we move at your nervous system’s pace, not the calendar’s?
Whether you’ve lived through complex trauma or simply feel anxious, emotionally shut down, or chronically “not yourself,” trauma-informed therapy creates space to explore, without pressure, without force, and without assuming anything about your story.
Trauma-informed therapy is gentle, collaborative and slow.
So… what is trauma-informed therapy?
Being trauma-informed means your therapist:
Respects your boundaries and pace of disclosure
Understands the nervous system and how trauma affects memory, emotion, and behaviour
Avoids re-traumatising by never pushing, rushing, or “digging” without consent
Recognises protective patterns (like people-pleasing, avoidance, perfectionism) as intelligent, not pathological
Centres collaboration, so you're never just a passive recipient of treatment
It’s less about techniques, and more about attunement.
Trauma-informed doesn’t mean you have to talk about trauma
Sometimes trauma shows up as a freeze response in conversation. Or in how hard it is to feel joy. Or how your body goes numb in moments that should feel good.
You don’t have to explain all of that upfront.
In trauma-informed therapy, your silence is respected. So is your story. So is your nervous system. Healing begins with safety, not disclosure.
About the Author
Corene Crossin is an Australian registered psychotherapist and IFS practitioner based in Brisbane, offering online Internal Family Systems therapy to clients across Australia and internationally. She works with thoughtful adults who are ready to explore longstanding patterns around relationships, attachment, self-sabotage, body image, and inner criticism.
Her approach is trauma-informed, collaborative, and rooted in compassion. She believes that lasting change becomes possible when you feel safe enough to be fully seen, including by yourself.
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