One of the most important — and most challenging — aspects of trauma-informed practice is understanding how services can unintentionally cause harm. Re-traumatisation happens when an experience in a service triggers or replicates a person's original trauma. It does not require bad intentions. It can happen in well-run services, with experienced workers, through everyday interactions that seem entirely ordinary.
The goal is not to walk on eggshells or to eliminate all discomfort. Homelessness services must maintain structure, boundaries, and expectations. But there is a significant difference between necessary challenge and avoidable harm — and understanding that difference is what this module is about.
This module explores what re-traumatisation is, how it happens, what it looks like, and what practitioners can do to reduce the risk. It is practical and honest about the challenges involved.
This is a Developing-level module that builds on What Is Trauma?, ACEs, and the Six Principles of Trauma-Informed Practice.