A second key aspect of trauma informed care is providing clients and consumers with opportunities to re-establish a sense of control over their lives. This principle can also be modeled in the training environment.
Begin by letting participants know that they may choose to participate or not participate in any activity offered in the workshop or course. Some people, for example, feel very anxious when they are asked to participate in a public way (e.g. role plays, get called on involuntarily). Encourage people to stretch themselves a bit to maximize their learning opportunities but always respect individuals’ choices not to engage in certain activities.
Allow participants to control their exposure to specific traumatic material included in the workshop or course. As particular material is about to be presented include a brief description of what it will include such as:
“This next short video clip will portray a young child listening to his father verbally and physically abuse his mother.”
