Trauma-Informed Health Care - by Karen Treisman (Paperback)

About the Book

In this vital guide, Dr Karen Treisman explores ways for individuals, teams, and health care organisations to infuse and integrate trauma-informed principles into their practice, and into the organisational culture, to avoid re-traumatisation and provide a better care environment.

Book Synopsis

This comprehensive reflective resource explores the values, principles and practical applications of trauma-informed and -infused health care.

Trauma-Informed Health Care introduces the different types of trauma - including medical and health trauma - and the impact of adversities, social inequalities and stressors. It explores their effects on health and the body, and on people's relationships with health providers. Key issues addressed include the importance of cultural humility, the effects of secondary and vicarious trauma, burnout and moral injury. It also covers the critical issue of organizational trauma: how to avoid practice which has potential to traumatize or retraumatize, and the role of cultural understanding, language, leadership, staff wellbeing and the physical environment.

Drawing substantially on the experiences of people who use services and active practitioners, this book spans diverse settings -- from doctor's surgeries to hospitals and allied health services. It reveals how "every interaction can be an intervention" and provides you with practical examples, graphics and reflective exercises to support you to bring about positive change.

This book is perfect for anyone working in healthcare including midwives, nurses, doctors, dentists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, radiographers, sonographers, health care assistants, play specialists, speech and language therapists, phlebotomists, psychologists, dieticians, audiologists, podiatrists and more.

Review Quotes

Praise for A Treasure Box for Creating Trauma-Informed Organisations:

This highly practical and accessible guide reflects her deep clinical and organizational understanding of trauma and is enhanced by her wonderful creative talent. This impressive resource is a welcomed gift to the field and a major contribution!

--Stephanie S. Covington, Ph.D., Author of 'Healing Trauma, Exploring Trauma, Beyond Trauma', Center for Gender & Justice, La Jolla, California

The reader is taken on a journey to understand, reflect and apply the universal approach of being trauma informed. There are pertinent examples from across the life course, including pregnancy and perinatal period to bring the text to life and enable maternity services to address the nuances of human life that impact outcomes for women and birthing people and their families.--Claire Spencer, midwife

Dr. Treisman's timely and enlightening book offers a transformative approach to patient care, blending relevant research with real-world examples. As a specialist, I can wholeheartedly recommend this as a must-read for all healthcare professionals committed to compassionate, holistic trauma-informed patient care.--Dr(Prof) Deepak Ravindran, NHS Pain Consultant and author of "The Pain Free Mindset "

Dr. Treisman has done it again - she has produced a book directed at anyone working in healthcare that grapples with the enormous complexity of working as a caregiver in these troubling times without overwhelming the reader. Peppered throughout the very accessible but comprehensive text are illustrations that make the material come alive. This should be a basic text in medical, nursing, public health and all allied health educational institutions.--Sandra Bloom, M.D. Associate Professor, Health Management and Policy, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University

Dr Karen Treisman's extensive professional and personal experience of psychological trauma has resulted in a compendious exploration of the complexities in the provision and accessibility of healthcare. This academically robust yet accessible book makes trauma-informed healthcare everyone's business. At a time when healthcare professionals are facing unprecedented challenges, this hopeful book offers pragmatic and creative ways for us to return to our core values and ensure that patients are not just 'treated' but are compassionately cared for.--Dr Carlotta Raby, Paediatric Clinical Psychologist/ Child and Adolescent Trauma Specialist

As someone with both chronic conditions and recurring cancer this book and approach is beyond essential. The lens, perspective, tips and insights are so accurate, powerful and important. The difference these could make to the whole person is more than I could put into words. Every professional should read this and use it as a guide and manifesto. Thank you to Dr Treisman for her work and for writing this unmissable book.--Ellen Lake, patient and user of numerous health services

About the Author

Dr. Karen Treisman, MBE, is an award-winning specialist Clinical Psychologist, trainer, and bestselling author, working in London, UK. Karen is also the Director of Safe Hands and Thinking Minds Training and Consultancy services.