Trauma Counselling

This module introduces students to the trauma cycle and an understanding of the associated behaviours that victims of trauma experience.

Students acquire the necessary skills and knowledge for appropriate intervention to meet the needs of individuals and groups exposed to trauma. The module covers the physiological and psychological reactions to trauma; critical incident stress debriefing; post-traumatic stress disorder; the effects of trauma caused by disaster; trauma resulting from child abuse and the impact of trauma on children and adolescents.

Learning outcomes

• Identify the terminology and concepts associated with trauma
• Identify the counselling role where a client is traumatised
• Identify strategies for counselling people in trauma
• Demonstrate skills for counselling people in trauma within identified professional limits

Content areas

• Introduction to trauma
• Physiological and psychological reactions to trauma
• Issues in counselling trauma clients
• A model for counselling traumatised clients
• Trauma counselling strategies and techniques
• Critical incident stress de-briefing
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• The trauma of community disaster
• Impact of trauma on children and adolescents
• The trauma of child abuse
• Trauma in the workplace
• Case studies

This module is available on campus, by distance education or online.