Well People Center · Research

The research behind our approach

Trauma-informed care is not a trend. It rests on a growing body of evidence about what helps people, practitioners, and organizations recover and stay resilient. Here is a brief look at what that research shows.

Research summary by Aline Rabalais, Ph.D., L.P.

Trauma is common, whether or not we see it

Roughly 70% of people worldwide have experienced at least one traumatic event, and nearly one in three (30.5%) have experienced four or more.1,2 For any organization serving the public, that means many of the clients, patients, and staff in the room are likely carrying trauma, whether or not it is ever named. Building trauma-informed care into practice and organizational culture is a promising step toward supporting their resilience and recovery.

Better outcomes for clients

Integrating trauma-informed treatment and consultation into clinical work is associated with better results for clients. In one study, clients whose therapists attended more trauma-focused consultation sessions showed significantly lower levels of posttraumatic stress (PTSD) symptoms.3

Stronger skills for clinicians

Consultation supports the practitioner as well as the client. Studies have found that trauma-informed consultation was associated with improved therapeutic skills and closer adherence to evidence-based trauma treatment protocols.4,5

Results at the organizational level

The evidence extends beyond the therapy room:

Working across cultures

This research suggests trauma-informed care can be applied across businesses, communities, and countries. Leaders in cross-cultural consultation recommend three practices: balancing the needs of organizations and clients, becoming fluent in multicultural interaction, and embracing a global mindset.8

We agree. Effective trauma-informed implementation means solving problems through a culturally sensitive lens that respects each client's unique perspective, and that principle guides every part of our work.

What this means for our work

This summary is brief, not exhaustive, but it reflects a promising body of work supporting the benefits of trauma-informed approaches for trauma-exposed clients, the clinicians who serve them, and the organizations that hold them both. The Well People Center team is proud to bring that evidence, and a global perspective, to individual practitioners and organizations seeking quality trauma-informed consultation.

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References

  1. Benjet, C., Bromet, E., Karam, E. G., Kessler, R. C., McLaughlin, K. A., Ruscio, A. M., ... & Koenen, K. C. (2016). The epidemiology of traumatic event exposure worldwide: Results from the World Mental Health Survey Consortium. Psychological Medicine, 46(2), 327-343. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291715001981
  2. Kessler, R. C., Aguilar-Gaxiola, S., Alonso, J., Benjet, C., Bromet, E. J., Cardoso, G., ... & Koenen, K. C. (2017). Trauma and PTSD in the WHO World Mental Health Surveys. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 8(sup5), 1353383. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2017.1353383
  3. Mallard Swanson, K., Song, J., Beristianos, M., Aajmain, S., Lane, J. E., Landy, M. S., ... & Stirman, S. W. (2021). A glimpse into the "black box": Which elements of consultation in an EBP are associated with client symptom change and therapist fidelity? Implementation Research and Practice, 2, 26334895211051791. https://doi.org/10.1177/26334895211051791
  4. Edmunds, J. M., Brodman, D. M., Ringle, V. A., Read, K. L., Kendall, P. C., & Beidas, R. S. (2017). Examining adherence to components of cognitive-behavioral therapy for youth anxiety after training and consultation. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 48(1), 54. https://doi.org/10.1037/pro0000100
  5. Jackson, C. B., Herschell, A. D., Schaffner, K. F., Turiano, N. A., & McNeil, C. B. (2017). Training community-based clinicians in parent-child interaction therapy: The interaction between expert consultation and caseload. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 48(6), 481-489. https://doi.org/10.1037/pro0000149
  6. Goldstein, E., Chokshi, B., Melendez-Torres, G. J., Rios, A., Jelley, M., & Lewis-O'Connor, A. (2024). Effectiveness of trauma-informed care implementation in health care settings: Systematic review of reviews and realist synthesis. The Permanente Journal, 28(1), 135.
  7. Fernández, V., Gausereide-Corral, M., Valiente, C., & Sánchez-Iglesias, I. (2023). Effectiveness of trauma-informed care interventions at the organizational level: A systematic review. Psychological Services, 20(4), 849-862. https://doi.org/10.1037/ser0000737
  8. Eyring, A. (2020). Global by design. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 72(1), 58.