CLINICAL EDITOR’S COMMENTS:
Trauma-informed care principles and expressive media can elevate play therapy supervision.
T
rauma-informed supervision (TIS) is an approach derived from trauma-informed care, a strengths-based orientation grounded in understanding and responding to trauma’s
effect on providers and survivors (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [HHS], 2014). TIS emphasizes supervisors’ attunement to the impact of the types of trauma that may be present within the context of the supervisory relationship, including psychological/emotional, interpersonal, physical, oppression-based, and intergenerational trauma (Hardy, 2016; HHS, 2014). TIS emphasizes psychological safety for both supervisee and supervisor, and helps supervisees experience a sense of agency and empowerment while striving to avoid instances of (re)traumatization. Primarily based in a humanistic theoretical approach, TIS incorporates elements from trauma-informed and experiential frameworks to help supervisees develop personally and professionally and be effective in helping clients (Bratton & Stewart, 2018). TIS is not a substitute for a supervision theory or model to guide the supervisory process.
Rationale for Trauma-Informed Care The prevalence of traumatic exposures, and the corresponding negative impact on health outcomes and wellbeing, constitutes a compelling to play therapy and the supervision of play therapists. US and global researchers have noted one-half to two-thirds of large-scale survey participants reported at least one traumatic event, with many reporting multiple traumatic experiences, such as interpersonal abuse, caregiver separation or loss, sudden death of a loved one, witnessing violent acts, mass disasters, and familial substance use (HHS, 2014). The frequency of trauma exposure varies across demographics, such as gender, age, and cultural group, and is especially high for persons receiving mental health services (HHS, 2014).
Clients, supervisees, and/or supervisors may have trauma experiences to be aware of during the supervision process. Trauma-informed care principles can serve as a guide to ensure the welfare of clients and supervisees (e.g., Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA], 2018). Important responsibilities for TIS supervisors include communicating clear and direct messages regarding availability and accessibility, anticipating and circumventing potentially re-traumatizing practices (e.g., offering the option of closing eyes or keeping eyes open/focusing on an object in the room during experiential
activities with supervisees and/or clients), minimizing power and control dynamics by encouraging ongoing dialogue and a collaborative approach, and ensuring that TIS remains distinguishable from therapy.
SAMHSA (2014) named six key principles of a trauma-informed approach which are useful to apply to TIS. Activity: Reflect and write about how these principles might manifest as you implement TIS in your role.
How is trauma-informed supervision relevant in your work?
Key Principles of a Trauma-Informed Approach • Safety • Trustworthiness and transparency • Peer support • Collaboration and mutuality • Empowerment, voice and choice • Cultural, historical, and gender issues
Rationale for Expressive/Creative Experiences based and motor interventions in the context of a strong positive therapeutic relationship (Gaskill & Perry, 2014). TIS follows this call and invites supervisors to provide opportunities for supervisees to engage experientially in creative arts, music, movement, and play activities.
Bratton, Ceballos, and Sheely (2008) argued that expressive/experiential activities provide a nonverbal and symbolic means for supervisees to access their feelings and experiences and integrate brain processes. In traditional talk supervision, supervisees often resort to logic and linear thought patterns. Experientially based supervision activities offer a central advantage by allowing supervisees to access feelings and embodied experiences to fully engage in the process of self- understanding, including any unresolved traumatic experiences, and to better understand dynamics of the client-therapist relationship (Lahad, grounding the supervision experience in the present, creating a pathway for supervisors to join supervisees’ immediate experience. Furthermore, supervisees may adapt these experiences for use with their clients.
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