Trauma-Informed Counseling Approaches Flashcards
7 cards from real CIC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Trauma-Informed Counseling Approaches flashcards as text
A crisis counselor is working with a client who was recently assaulted. The client reports feeling 'completely numb' and 'like it didn't happen to me.' This is best understood as:
Answer: Peritraumatic dissociation, a common acute trauma response
Peritraumatic dissociation (occurring during or immediately after a traumatic event) is a normative acute response and includes feelings of unreality, numbness, and depersonalization.
Which of the following best describes 'trauma-sensitive yoga' as used in trauma-informed counseling settings?
Answer: Body-based practice that emphasizes choice, present-moment awareness, and non-judgmental attention to bodily sensations
Trauma-sensitive yoga emphasizes client choice, interoceptive awareness, and a non-coercive environment to support trauma healing through the body.
A trauma-informed counselor working with a client who has a history of childhood neglect should be aware that this client may have particular difficulty with:
Answer: Developing trust in the therapeutic relationship and accepting care from others
Childhood neglect disrupts early attachment and the expectation of receiving care, making trust in the therapeutic relationship particularly challenging for these clients.
When conducting a trauma-informed risk assessment for suicide, the counselor should consider which factor as uniquely important for trauma survivors?
Answer: Trauma history as an independent risk factor compounding current suicidal ideation
Trauma history significantly elevates suicide risk independently, and counselors must integrate trauma exposure into suicide risk formulation rather than treating it separately.
The term 'retraumatization' in crisis intervention settings specifically refers to:
Answer: Experiences within the helping system that recreate dynamics of the original trauma
Retraumatization occurs when helping systems inadvertently recreate traumatic dynamics (e.g., powerlessness, violation) through coercive, dismissive, or unpredictable practices.
A trauma-informed counselor who is asked to 'tell the client what to do' during a crisis should respond by:
Answer: Offering options and collaborating with the client to support their sense of agency and control
Restoring agency and choice is central to trauma-informed care, as trauma often involves loss of control; collaborative decision-making supports empowerment even in crisis.
Research on resilience in trauma survivors indicates that the most consistently protective factor following traumatic exposure is:
Answer: The presence of at least one stable, supportive relationship
Social support—specifically having at least one consistent, caring relationship—is the most robust protective factor against developing lasting trauma-related difficulties.