How to be trauma informed in micro-moments and brief encounters.

4 tips that work (from a teacher who used to meet new students all the time).

Recently, we delivered some trauma-informed training to casual relief teachers (CRTs) who have a pretty unique situation. They don’t get to spend weeks and months building relationships with students, sometimes they’ll only see them for 45 minutes.

So, we shared some strategies that work, even in micro moments, and we thought some of you might benefit from these, too! They’re not just handy for school environments and they might be useful when you’re meeting clients for the first time.

Negotiation

Young people who have experienced trauma have experienced loss of power. They can feel a deep need to have power and a sense of control in their day. This is not because they want to be oppositional, this is because they want to feel safer.

So, let’s find ways to safely empower them and provide them with choices. Give them options of how to complete a task, be prepared to meet them in the middle, and give them warning before taking something away.

Regulation

We all need a chance to understand and respond to our emotional and physical needs.

As practitioners, we can provide activities (group and 1:1) that allow young people to co-regulate or self-regulate. A good tip is to consider using a patterned repetitive rhythmic activity (PRRA). PRRAs calm our nervous system and send a signal to our brain that we are safe. Some PRRAs include: drumming, colouring in, skipping, boxing, rhythmic breathing and plenty more.

Unconditional Positive Regard

Practice seeing young people through the lens of unconditional positive regard (and speaking about them the same way).

Seperate the person from the behaviour, remember they do well WHEN they can, and nobody is choosing to be dysregulated (it is actually very uncomfortable to be in that state).

This means giving them a fresh start each day (or even each lesson).

Relationship

We don’t need months to make a positive impact on someone who has experienced trauma. Even the briefest interactions can make a difference.

Young people who have experienced trauma may not feel that adults are safe people to be around. Prove them wrong.

Be predictable, focus on their strengths, be authentic, and keep showing up.

FAQ!

A Frequently asked question we get in our sessions is:

“How do I know who has experienced trauma?”

Well, the good news is, you don’t always need to know. Trauma-informed practice is GOOD practice.

Can you think of a human being who wouldn’t benefit from one of the strategies we shared?

Upskill with us!

We empower schools and trauma-affected settings to become wellbeing communities of practice where everyone can thrive.

We work alongside practitioners to respond to wellbeing challenges, enhance trauma-informed practice, and navigate pathways to healing.