TALKING TRAUMA TALK Reinvigorating the personal as political BY DR. CATRINA BROWN, RSW
While those experiencing trauma often feel hopeless,
response to the medicalization of trauma and the growing
vulnerable and out of control, those who work with trauma
neuroscience focus, it has been argued that we need a “critical
feel increasingly desperate as they struggle to find the time
dialogue about this reliance on biological knowledge to
and resources they need to do this work within the context
promote a social justice framework in mental health services
of fiscal cutbacks and the emphasis on short term efficiency
is needed, since it potentially reinforces the privileged status
based practice in social work service provision. Taken in
of biology and medical knowledge over social science and
tandem, the reduced welfare state, limited community
women’s own narratives” (Tseris, 2013, p.157).
resources, the intensified focus on bio-medical discourse and the lack of focus on the sociopolitical context of people’s
The dominant bio-medical approach often delegitimizes other
lives produces a decontextualized and depoliticized focus
forms of knowing or interpretations of people’s struggles,
on the individual in trauma work. The “personal is political”
such as those that situate the problems in the context of
foundation of feminist trauma work has been replaced by the
people’s lives (Lafrance & McKenzie-Mohr, 2013). Despite a
mainstreaming of trauma-informed discourse.
growing emphasis on being trauma-informed, there is little, to no, parallel growth of supports, resources or programming
While it is encouraging that we are talking about
for trauma work and mental health services (Author 1, 2, 3, 2020). Not only is there a lack of adequate social services,
trauma today, the mainstreaming of this talk is also
those funded are often “the wrong kinds of services” (Baines
conservatizing. What happened to words like rape,
are now emphasized when complex trauma work is often
battery, incest, sexual abuse, or violence? Where is
& Waugh, 2019, p. 250). Brief trauma-informed approaches required. Evidence of commitment to dealing with trauma and its effects requires shifts in public policy that support
the violence, pain, suffering, impact, injustice,
the development and funding of appropriate programming
exploitation and oppression?
and space for trauma therapy which is often long-term and
and resources that allow mental healthcare settings time intensive work (Author, 2020). Trauma-informed discourse encourages practitioners to be aware of trauma without an
Trauma talk today is too often minimized, sanitized and
investment in trauma-based programming or actual trauma-
stripped of particular meaning as seen by the normative use
based work.
of acronyms – DV (domestic violence), IPV (interpersonal violence), VAW (violence against women), GBV (gender-based
Social work needs to reassert principles of practice, which
violence), TI (trauma-informed), and ACE (adverse childhood
includes recognizing that the personal is political, making
experiences). This shorthand talk is arguably a disservice
space for double-listening to trauma stories, and emphasizing
to the importance of these issues. In addition, violence
that trauma work is often difficult and relational. Themes
is increasingly framed in the language of being “trauma-
of power, betrayal, self-blame, and stigma are critical
informed “and “evidence-based” alongside the privileging
components of complex trauma work. Coping strategies are
of the DSM-5 and the biomedical neuroscience framework
often treated as primary rather than secondary responses to
over the experiences of people (Marecek, & Gavey, 2013). In
trauma and interpreted as unhelpful or dysfunctional which
22 Connection | Winter 2022
