Communication Strategies in Trauma-Informed Care

Back to Course Catalog

Course Objectives

Use trauma-informed verbal and non-verbal communication techniques to build trust, clarity, and emotional safety with patients across diverse situations.
Identify and respond to signs of emotional distress or dysregulation using grounding, pacing, co-regulation, and de-escalation skills.
Promote patient autonomy and collaboration through choice, transparency, permission-based care, and maintaining professional boundaries.
Apply trauma-informed strategies to real clinical scenarios to improve patient experience, safety, and procedural success.

Course Content

Course Creator: Nichelle Volker RMA

Total CE Hours: 1 Credit Hour

Pace Course #: 586-2131-25

Key Terms:

Window of tolerance
Co-regulations
Hypervigilance
Dissociation
Reflective responding
Grounding techniques
Permission-based care
Predictability
Professional boundaries

Outline:

TIC Foundations
- Defining trauma
- Trauma responses
- TIC
- Responding to trauma in healthcare
- Common triggers in phlebotomy
- Common communication barriers
Communication techniques
- Verbal communication techniques
  - Building emotional safety through communication
  - Putting patient’s first
  - Respectful language
  - Explaining before acting
  - Offering choices
  - Language to avoid
  - Cultural responsiveness
  - Say this/not that
  - Scenario: verbal coms strategies for an overwhelmed patient
- Non-verbal communication strategies
  - Presence
  - Tone and delivery
  - Respecting personal space and boundaries
    - Environment
  - Window of tolerance and co-regulation
  - Approaching
  - Room positioning and exit awareness
  - Do this/not that
  - Scenario: non-verbal coms strategies for body language discomfort
- Active Listening and Reflective Responding Communication Strategies
  - Active listening
  - Reflective responses
  - Advanced Reflective responses
  - Empathy
  - Validation
  - Do this/ not that
  - Scenario: active listening and reflective responding to a distressed patient
Emotional regulation and de-escalation techniques
- Early acknowledgment
- Grounding techniques
- Recognizing signs of distress
- Responding to dissociation
- Do this/ not that
- Scenarios: de-escalation of a needle-phobic patient
Empowerment, Collaboration and Boundaries
- Choice
- Transparency
- Compassion with structure
- Team communication and documentation
- Do this/ not that
Conclusion

References:

Trauma and violence - What is trauma and its effects? (n.d.). https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/trauma-violence
MSc, O. G. (2025, June 23). Fight, flight, freeze, or fawn: How we respond to threats. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/fight-flight-freeze-fawn.html
What is Trauma-Informed Care? - Trauma-Informed Care Implementation Resource Center. (2022, July 7). Trauma-Informed Care Implementation Resource Center. https://www.traumainformedcare.chcs.org/what-is-trauma-informed-care/
Trauma-Informed Approaches and Programs. (n.d.). https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/trauma-violence/trauma-informed-approaches-programs
Blanchard, B. E., Bluett, E. J., Johnson, M., Zimberoff, A., & Fortney, J. C. (2024). Trauma exposure correlates among patients receiving care in federally qualified health centers. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 37(6), 864–876. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.23055