How can you develop emotional intelligence when working with patients who have experienced trauma?

As therapists, our primary goal is to facilitate healing and growth in our clients. We strive to provide a safe and non-judgmental space for them to explore their thoughts, emotions, and experiences. However, in order to be effective in our practice, it is equally important for us to develop self-awareness about our own internal working model. An internal working model is a term used in psychology to describe the mental framework we have developed based on our past experiences, relationships, and beliefs. It shapes how we perceive ourselves, others, and the world around us. It can influence our biases, assumptions, and countertransference reactions. Therefore, developing self-awareness about our internal working model becomes crucial.

To be self aware is crucial. Clients have told me some upsetting information and it's easy to feet awful. While having empathy and expressing it to my client is good in that it forms a therapeutic alliance there needs to have some degree of detachment . Detachment enables me to carry on my task as a mental health practitioner with professionalism. I take my cue from the client and his or her needs and I may suggest one or two things that he may not think of in his journey to recovery. If l let my emotions consume me then it will be an uphill struggle. I always remember the analogy: When someone is in the quick sand you don't jump in the quick sand to save him. Instead you throw in a rope and you haul him out.

As therapists, we encounter many situations where we can relate to what our client is telling and processing in session. Countertranference and transference is a common, expected and inevitable part of being in the clinical field. Learning how to check-in with ourselves during moments where countertransference is recognized in a session is valuable for us as professionals but especially for treatment provided to clients to ensure is not hurt by our own individual experiences and internal processes. The process of learning to check-in with ourselves never ends and is directly correlated to our own clinical growth, processing during our own clinical supervision and therapeutic process.

In my experience you must exhibit control of your own emotions in order to assist others with theirs. It is great to empathize with the client and to know when to share areas of your successes and failures while remaining detached. If you have not learned this skill one should seek too, for successful treatments and client outcomes. Otherwise, your sessions will become biased and negatively skewed most times without the therapist or counselor's knowledge.

We need to have three things: 1. Having a good gauge of your own trauma experience and the level of healing. It is very important to prevent ourselves from having vicarious trauma 2. Have good self-management skills specifically self-care tools so that you can manage your feelings and be able to have a space in your container to hold your clients' feelings 3. Know how to create a safe space for your clients (how to respond, acknowledge and prevent re-traumatization)

Be mindful it is empathetic rather than sympathetic.Survivors already know that it was horrible to experience..In lieu of expressing sympathy ,it's more empowering to highlight their ability to overcome adversity

Most clinicians were trained to avoid self-disclosure; however, as a former firefighter, ER worker, emergency mental health clinician and behavioral health tech diagnosed with and successfully treated for PTSD, sharing my responses to an “active shooter”, taking blades from patients, being in burning buildings and performing restraints has been especially helpful in establishing rapport, the therapeutic alliance and credibility with patients.

Empathy is trying to imagine being in the other person's shoes and expressing what that would feel like. By expressing empathy you make statements reflecting what that person might feel. By doing so the message you're giving is :"I'm here" "I'm listening" "I'm trying to understand"This is an important step in a therapeutic relationship and should never be missed.

Without empathy, you fail to create opportunities to produce the best possible outcomes. Only with empathy, understand who you are and how to help others.

Actively listening and showing empathy for our clients is part of the core values of the clinical field. Not only it promotes trust, rapport and engagement, but it provides a space for a client, in this case trauma survivor, to initiate a process of externalizing the traumatic experience which can be very challenging in this population. Active listening and empathy will open the room for the client to provide information and experiences during therapy that will be vital for treatment and is our responsibility to question ourselves what is the client trying to verbalize but can’t and how I can guide this by using process focus words that the client has not identified on its own. We want to focus on process and not content only.

If I wanna ask a sensitive question, I start by asking for permission or at the very least pre warn my client That way I'm not putting her on the spot. This is important especially when asking about suicidality. I ask plainly, and respectfully.

We always want to meet our clients where they are at but also follow our clinical instincts. We can know and feel when a client is ready to be more challenged in a session and when a client is not ready to take that step. Clients will also set the tone of the session and we can match the tone when needed and be clear about the boundaries appropriate for the session to continue partnering up with our clients during treatment. Asking for permission can be a skill to be used when we want to provide a thought or a recommendation.

Person center language is so critical to this process. Not defining people on their disorders instead build on their strengths. For case managers it is important to follow up on any tasks and communicate this with participants is very helpful with engagement and consistency in care.

One thing I've found helpful is to illicit existing coping strategies that the client has used in the past and explore why that has worked and if it would work in this current situation. The underlying principle is to empower and work collaboratively to find solutions.

During conflict/difficult conversations, it’s important to engage in validation and empathy to understand the client’s perspective and provide therapists perspective. This conversation is needed during the session to process what that was like for the client, what the expectation was from client regarding its therapist, and assess if the therapeutic relationship was hurt. To fix it, if damaged, accountability will be needed from therapist. Therapist can also process the conflict in supervision to assess how this could perhaps relate to patterns already observed by therapist in client and support with restructuring this negative patterns. Closing the loop in the potential conflict will be essential to ensure that the relationship is well.

Learning how to effectively manage emotions is critical in developing emotional intelligence. When working with clients who have experienced significant trauma it is important to resource our clients with coping skills and to encourage practicing these skills consistently, so that they are able to utilize them when the client is triggered or walking through new conflict and stressors. Learning emotional management is a journey and will take time to develop.

Self care is critical in aspect. This is part of pre-engagement. Working with trauma survivors expose us to secondary trauma. Self care allows providers to come to work and really address these type of conflicts as our authentic selves.

I have a very strong principle of never "bringing my clients home". They do not belong in my house. Throughout the years I have mastered the art of compartmentalizing work and home. I attend clinical supervision regularly and confer with colleagues where appropriate. I take care of myself first and always.Only then can I be of use to others

This is so critical reducing burn out and assuming one’s treatment in an objective manner. Mental health professionals supporting each other with peer support, supervision, training, and other networking really can strengthen a provider who is working with people who experienced trauma.

It would be important that therapists working with trauma survivors to continue engaging in all mentioned above but also to layout clearly with its own therapist or clinical supervisor a self care plan that is realistic and that works for the therapist. It would also be important for the therapist to identify any signs of vicarious trauma that can potentially come with the clinical work and also burnout signs to continue engaging in self care and continue providing clinical support to clients.

One thing that I’ve found to be incredibly helpful is to have a core group of colleagues that you can confide in or rely on for feedback, assistance with accessing resources in difference areas, and to share similar experiences with. Working with trauma victims can be rewarding, but often stressful and draining. Without a support system in place, it is possible to experience burnout and become further impacted by the weight of the emotions & situations that you’re trying to help your clients deal with.

Show up on time. Be prepared. Be organized. Be efficient with every one’s time. Do whatever you say you will do. Stay focused on your client’s needs and interests. Be a professional.

Working with trauma survivors is very rewarding and challenging, however, it can be one of the best clinical schools in our career that is only taught through our exposure to these clinician sessions. We will help many clients but within that experience we also want to know that we may make mistakes because we are also individuals going through our own processes. This requires works, patience, skills on identifying what is going on with ourselves and is a consistent and ongoing process that we don’t want to take for granted. Be also gracious with yourself and trust your clinical instinct.

Own your errors! It's easy to expect perfection from yourself, but that's not reasonable or likely. If you do make a mistake, own it and work through it. These are often very powerful moments if they are addressed.

Ability to manage emotions, recognize and influence others’, is one of the strongest indicators. Self-awareness help to clear understand strengths, limitations, emotions, beliefs, and motivations,and build trust and transparency to work with clients. And it helps to manage emotions, behaviors, and impulses and recognize ,it necessary always not just at work but in life to think before act ,and being calm , patience and build capacity in ourselves to understand other’s experience and emotion. Setting goals, plan to action , being optimistic. Writing down during all steps of working to analyze and assessment , paying attention more and practice to be good listener. Training if it’s necessary. Practice being mindfulness and don’t judge.

As an occupational therapist who specializes in trauma, I can’t overstate the importance of understanding how trauma damages the nervous system and prevents its orchestral conductor (nervous system) from integrating various systems of the body. The nervous system MUST be addressed and is best done so through occupational interventions with a sensory integration lens. Tips include integration of the whole brain, PNF patterns, nervous system regulation through sensory integration strategies (Hindbrain), emotional regulation through biofeedback and cognitive behavioral strategies (Limbic system), as well as behavioral strategies through sequencing, mental time travel, orientation to time, and emotional intelligence/theory of mind (neocortex).