Using psychodynamic interventions to engage in trauma-informed practice

Abstract

In recent years, trauma-informed practice has received increased attention in the social work literature. Although the adoption of trauma-informed practice is necessary for preparing social workers to practice effectively with clients, these frameworks do not necessarily provide social workers with the specific skills for doing so. Therefore, we argue that using interventions grounded in contemporary psychodynamic theory can help transform them into trauma-informed practitioners. Psychodynamic psychotherapy interventions, especially from object relations and self psychology, align with many of the principles of trauma-informed practice (e.g. establishing an atmosphere of safety and acceptance, relying upon relational collaboration). We begin by discussing trauma-informed practice and then discuss how the use of psychodynamic psychotherapy interventions (holding environment, containment, and selfobject transferences) can facilitate the application of trauma-informed principles. We conclude with a case illustration of how to incorporate psychodynamic interventions into trauma-informed practice.