What Happened to You?

Beyond the Buzzword: The Rise and Reach of the Trauma-Informed Movement What Happened to You?

A Shift in Perspective

For years, trauma was something we associated with war veterans, hospital emergencies, or childhood abuse cases discussed in hushed tones. But now, something has changed. The language of trauma has broken free from clinical handbooks and found its way into everyday conversation, into HR departments, school corridors, social media reels, and group chats between friends. There's a cultural shift underway. More people are starting to understand that pain is not always visible, and that behaviour often tells a story. One deceptively simple question captures this shift: What happened to you?

At the heart of that question lies a movement. One that asks us to pause,reconsider our assumptions, and respond to human struggle not with control or correction, but with compassion, curiosity, and care. This is the trauma-informed movement, a quiet revolution in how we engage with ourselves, one another, and the systems we are part of.

Let's Talk About Trauma

To understand the trauma-informed approach, we must begin by understanding trauma itself. And that means expanding our definition. Trauma is not limited to extreme, violent experiences. It can include those, of course, but trauma also arises from what is chronic, subtle, or unacknowledged. A child growing up in a household where love is conditional. A teenager navigating relentless bullying. A mother experiencing racial microaggressions in the workplace. A man quietly carrying the grief of early loss without a language for it. As the pioneering trauma specialist Dr Gabor Maté puts it, trauma is not what happens to us, it is what happens inside us as a result of what happened to us. It is the wound, not the weapon. Trauma affects how we see the world, how we form relationships, how we respond to stress, and even how we breathe. It shapes our nervous system and our sense of safety. It teaches us who we can trust, what we must hide, and what is required for survival. Understanding Trauma Through the Nervous System. When something overwhelming happens, whether once or over time, the body activates its survival response. This can mean fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. These are not character flaws. They are protective reflexes hardwired into our biology. But if that survival energy is never discharged, the nervous system can stay stuck in high alert. Over time, this can lead to what many describe as living with the "foot on the gas" (hyperarousal, anxiety, restlessness) or the "foot on the brake" (shut down, numbness, dissociation). Trauma lives in the body, often long after the original danger has passed. That is why someone can feel unsafe in a completely safe environment, or lash out when they are afraid. And that is why trauma-informed approaches are so necessary. Without them, we risk misreading symptoms of trauma as misbehaviour, laziness, or defiance, especially in children, marginalised groups, or those with unmet needs. The Science: Trauma's Lasting Footprint One of the most significant advances in trauma research has been the understanding of how deeply trauma can affect the brain and body.

The landmark Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study, conducted in the 1990s by the CDC and Kaiser Permanente, revealed a powerful correlation between early adversity and poor health outcomes in adulthood. The more ACEs someone had, such as parental substance misuse, emotional neglect, or exposure to domestic violence, the more likely they were to suffer from depression, addiction, heart disease, and even premature death. We now know that repeated or chronic trauma can impair the development of the prefrontal cortex (responsible for decision-making and impulse control), shrink the hippocampus (linked to memory), and keep the amygdala (the brain's threat detector) on constant alert. The implications are profound. Trauma is not just a psychological issue, it is a public health issue. It affects productivity, school performance, chronic illness rates, and even life expectancy. That's why becoming trauma-informed is not just about being empathetic. It is about recognising how deeply trauma can shape a person's trajectory and adjusting our systems accordingly.

The Six Pillars of Trauma-Informed Practice In response to this growing understanding, experts developed a trauma-informed framework - a way of organising services, institutions, and human interactions around principles that foster safety and healing. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a trauma-informed approach is guided by six key principles:

1. Safety

2. Trustworthiness and Transparency

3. Peer Support

4. Collaboration and Mutuality

5. Empowerment and Choice

6. Cultural, Historical, and Gender Responsiveness 

Trauma-Informed Education: Shaping Safer Classrooms. Schools are often the first institutions outside the home that shape a child's sense of safety or danger. For children who have experienced trauma, traditional behaviour management approaches can do more harm than good. A trauma-informed school does not excuse harmful behaviour, but it does seek to understand it. Instead of asking, "Why is this child misbehaving?" a trauma-informed teacher asks, "What might this behaviour be communicating?" Take the story of Lucas, an eight-year-old frequently sent out of class for shouting and refusing to sit still. His teachers labelled him disruptive. But a trauma-informed support worker recognised the signs of hyperarousal - Lucas was living with domestic violence. His behaviour was not about defiance. It was about dysregulation. With consistent check-ins, sensory supports, and a calm corner where he could reset, Lucas began to settle. Not overnight, but gradually. And more importantly, he began to trust that school was a place where he did not have to be on guard.

Healthcare that Heals: Trauma-Informed Medicine Medical settings can be intimidating for anyone, but for those with trauma histories, they can feel outright threatening. This is particularly true for people with a history of physical or sexual abuse, medical trauma, or systemic discrimination. Trauma-informed healthcare providers take the time to explain procedures, ask for consent, offer choices, and avoid unnecessary triggering. Something as simple as saying, "Would you like me to explain what I'm doing before I start?" can make a world of difference.

Workplaces That Understand People, Not Just Performance The modern workplace is finally catching on to something therapists have long known - people do not leave their nervous systems at the office door. A trauma-informed workplace understands that psychological safety is as vital as physical safety. Some companies are now offering mental health first aid training, developing peer support networks, and embedding trauma-informed principles into induction and supervision.

Trauma and the Justice System: The Cycle of Disconnection If any system bears the weight of trauma, it is the justice system. A trauma-informed justice system does not excuse crime. But it does recognise that punishment without support only reinforces the trauma cycle. Parenting After Trauma: Breaking Cycles, Not Spirits. Parenting is challenging at the best of times. But for parents with unprocessed trauma, the task can feel overwhelming. Trauma-informed parenting begins with self-awareness. It recognises that dysregulation is contagious.

Housing and Homelessness: Trauma on the Margins. People experiencing homelessness are more likely to have lived through abuse, violence, and systemic neglect. Trauma-informed housing initiatives are trying to change this.

Social Media: Therapy Lite or Trauma Theatre? Social media has democratised access to mental health information. But the rise of pop psychology also brings pitfalls. Complex terms like "gaslighting" and "trauma bond" are often misused. From Surviving to Thriving: Post-Traumatic Growth Psychologists call this post-traumatic growth - the process by which people develop a greater appreciation for life, deeper relationships, increased resilience, or a stronger sense of purpose following adversity. Real Stories, Real Change. These stories are not rare. They are what happens when we stop reacting and start understanding. This Is a Beginning, Not a Buzzword. Trauma-informed practice is not a phrase to include in a mission statement. It is a way of being. A commitment to presence, perspective, and possibility.