On May 27, Via Linda hosted its first annual symposium at Talking Stick Resort, called Innovations in the Treatment of Trauma: Through Their Eyes. This all-day, educational event brought together changemakers and empaths in the community to learn what it means to truly see another, through their eyes. All attendees and partners were encouraged to donate to two organizations: ‘Not Our Native Daughters’ and ‘Salt River Community Children’s Foundation’. Below is a brief glimpse of what guests experienced during this inspiring CEU event.
What is Trauma? Trauma is hard to talk about. Which is why the treatment of trauma poses unique challenges. To understand the best approach in the treatment of trauma, it is important to understand what trauma is. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) defines individual trauma as an event, series of events, or set of circumstances experienced as physically or emotionally harmful or life-threatening. It has lasting adverse effects on an individual’s functioning and overall well-being, significantly influencing one’s behavior, communication, trust, emotional regulation, and engagement in treatment. What may appear as “non-compliance”, anger, withdrawal, or resistance may actually be a protective survival response shaped by past experiences.
Trauma is not just the event, it is the experience that one has as a result of the event, long after it’s over. Two people can experience the same traumatic event and be affected differently. Because trauma is subjective, trauma-informed care is necessary.
Trauma Informed Care: Trauma-informed care is more than a treatment approach; it is a cultural shift and a change in language. Rather than asking, “What’s wrong with you?”, trauma-informed care shifts the perspective to, “What happened to you?”, creating an environment that supports healing while reducing the risk of re-traumatization. The 4 R’s and 6 Principles of trauma-informed care serve as a framework to understanding how to apply this evidence-based approach with the empathy that all humans deserve:
Realize: Understand that trauma is widespread and can significantly affect a person’s physical health, mental health, behavior, and relationships
Recognize: Identify the signs and symptoms of trauma, such as self-destructive behaviors, insomnia, withdrawal from family/friends, difficulty trusting others
Respond: Integrate trauma-informed knowledge and practices into policies, procedures, communication, and daily interactions
Resist Re-traumatization: Actively create environments and experiences that promote safety and avoid triggering or worsening past trauma. Assume that everyone you face has experienced trauma
Safety: People heal best when they feel physically, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually safe
Trust & Transparency: Clear communication and honesty help build trust and reduce fear or uncertainty
Peer Support: Shared experiences and supportive relationships can promote healing and connection
Collaboration & Mutuality: Healing is strongest when care is done with people rather than to them
Empowerment, Voice & Choice: Giving people choices and honoring their strengths helps restore dignity and sense of control
Cultural, Historical & Gender Issues: Understanding a person’s culture, identity, and life experiences helps provide more respect and effective care
Through Her Eyes — by Dr. Claire Romero
Dr. Claire Romero took a nontraditional path to her current role as Chief Nursing Officer at Via Linda Behavioral Hospital. From working as a nurse at a gas station to a changemaker in nursing leadership, Claire has always had an innate desire to change the world and make a difference. Throughout her career, she cared for patients in various settings, from wound and ostomy care to labor and delivery, to oncology. Regardless of the setting, Claire felt this need to find the “it” factor. Disheartened by the lack of empathy or understanding that she witnessed from other healthcare professionals who were burnt out or had forgotten why they entered the healthcare profession in the first place, Claire refused to stop searching for “it”. After years of searching, Claire realized that the “it factor” is not one thing, but six: The six principles of trauma-informed care.
Claire shared her personal experience, through her eyes, as a healthcare professional, to illustrate that trauma-informed care is not a destination, but a journey. She shared vulnerabilities throughout her career, learning moments, and the importance of staying true to one’s personal values and search for the “it” factor. While she may have wanted to “change the world” as a new grad nurse, she now realizes that in order to change the world, it takes a team of like-minded individuals who all want to change the world, too.
Through Their Eyes: Virtual Reality as a Tool in the Treatment of Trauma — by Dr. Aditya Shah
PsyTechVR is an emerging virtual reality-based technology designed to support the treatment of trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) though immersive, clinically guided experience. By creating controlled therapeutic environments, PsyTechVR allows patients to safely engage in evidence-based interventions such as exposure therapy, grounding exercises, and emotional regulation skill development. In alignment with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) principles, therapists can provide immersive controlled environments specifically tailored to the patient, to implement graded exposure, reduce avoidance behaviors and facilitate emotional processing.
Innovations in the Treatment of Trauma — by Dr. Aaron Wilson
Innovations in the treatment of trauma are increasingly integrating trauma-informed care principles with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) modalities to provide more individualized, neurobiologically informed care. As Dr. Wilson stated, “Neuromodulation and psychedelic-assisted therapies are reshaping trauma treatment by targeting the neural circuits of underlying fear, memory, and emotional regulation”. Emerging interventions such as neurofeedback, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), and psychedelic-assisted therapies are being explored for their potential to improve emotional regulation, reduce trauma-related symptoms, and promote neuroplasticity in patients with trauma-related disorders. Wilson emphasizes, “As research continues to evolve, these approaches offer the potential not only to reduce symptoms more rapidly, but also to promote neuroplasticity and deeper psychological healing beyond what traditional treatments often achieve”.
When implemented with a trauma-informed framework that prioritizes safety, trust collaboration, and patient empowerment, innovations in the treatment of trauma may enhance engagement in treatment and support more holistic recovery outcomes. As research continues to evolve, these innovative approaches are helping reshape the future of trauma treatment through personalized, evidence-based care. Trauma-informed care starts with you. Are you willing to slow down and listen to the person in front of you? How will you choose to show up for others?
If you missed Via Linda’s symposium on May 27th, follow us on LinkedIn for updates on our next event. Prepare to be inspired.
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