Who is a Trauma Therapist and What Does a Trauma Therapist Do?

By Isabelle Ong Gaffney
On February 7, 2026
In Trauma

Why Do Trauma Therapy, Who is a Trauma Therapist, and What Does a Trauma Therapist Do?

Trauma Therapist and Trauma Therapy — Why Do Trauma Therapy, Who is a Trauma Therapist, and What Does a Trauma Therapist Do?

A Brief Introduction to Trauma Therapy: What is Trauma and Why is it Important to Treat Trauma Using Trauma Therapy?

Trauma is a subjective experience that involves a horrific or life threatening incident or series of incidents inflicted onto a person that tints a person’s beliefs about themselves, others, and the world around them. Trauma comes in any form and no two people experience trauma the same way. The ways in which trauma can affect people can differ in intensity and severity, but it changes one’s world view significantly.

What counts as trauma? You might be familiar with the terms small T and big T traumas. Regardless of whether they are small or big traumas, they are all traumas. What is most important is that the survivor considers these experiences adverse and distressing that have caused and continue to cause them harm. Sometimes a trauma survivor may receive a Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) diagnosis after they have experienced a one-time traumatic incident. Complex Trauma is not currently recorded as a diagnosis in the Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM) but is experienced by many people who have endured long standing traumatic experiences such as childhood abuse and/or neglect or intimate partner violence. Other examples of trauma include grief and loss that could stem from a betrayal, chronic illnesses, displacement, medical negligence, an impending divorce, the loss of a job, or war. To read more about the other types of trauma, please read the blog post ‘An All-Exclusive About Trauma: Let’s Define Trauma, Understand Types of Trauma, & Explore Trauma Symptoms. https://aheapfulofhope.com/what-is-trauma-and-what-do-trauma-symptoms-look-like/

A trauma survivor organizes their beliefs, thoughts, feelings and behaviours around their trauma and their trauma symptoms. For example, a trauma survivor who has been stalked by an ex-partner may be hypervigilant of her environment and may get easily startled if someone shows up outside of her purview. She may feel highly anxious at times and often depressed. She may think that the world is not a safe place, that others are out to get or hurt her, believe that she is weak and not good enough, and that she does not deserve love.

Even if a trauma survivor seeks regular therapy that is not trauma treatment, the survivor may find some relief and support with their therapist. However, without a targeted trauma treatment approach tailored to help the trauma survivor work through her trauma, she would likely maintain her beliefs, thoughts, feelings and behaviours around their trauma. It is also less likely that the trauma symptoms would cede or improve over time with regular therapy.

Hence, it is critical for trauma survivors to seek specialized trauma treatment to improve their quality of life and most importantly, find relief that can allow them to channel renewed energy into building the lives that they wish to live.

What is a Trauma Therapist?

A trauma therapist is a counselor or psychologist by training and pursues specialized trauma training to work with clients impacted by trauma, as defined above. Trauma therapists are highly skilled to work with clients who present with mood issues such as anxiety and depression, grief and loss, and debilitating health conditions.

What are the Training and Qualifications of a Trauma Therapist?

A trauma therapist starts out with a basic training program in counseling or psychology which is typically a Master’s degree. After basic training in counseling or psychology, the next first step an aspiring trauma therapist may pursue is specialized training in at least one trauma approach. It would also be important to ensure that the trauma therapist you choose is one who is certified in a trauma treatment approach.

Certification in a trauma treatment approach demonstrates that the therapist has undergone rigorous training and standards that have been shown to help clients under her care. Like an apprentice who has studied under the tutelage of a highly skilled and experienced master, it also indicates that beyond the basic training, the therapist has invested time to learn from a consultant who is both experienced and skilled in the trauma treatment approach, and is able to effectively treat clients impacted by trauma.

Trauma is a complex condition that requires a significant amount of skill-building. Other than being trained in a trauma modality, it is important that a trauma therapist continues to hone their skills through continued professional development courses and seeks ongoing consultation for client cases.

In addition to professional qualifications in trauma treatment, some clients may seek therapists who have lived trauma experiences, and who can understand their experiences. Other clients may seek therapists who are not only certified in a trauma modality, but can integrate it with other therapy modalities.

What Motivates Trauma Therapists to Specialize in Trauma Therapy?

Just as some therapists may choose to specialize working with clients in a school setting, others may enjoy family therapy work. Some trauma therapists may have lived trauma experiences and are drawn to helping others who have walked the road less traveled.

What is a Trauma Therapist’s Job Scope?

Trauma therapists’ job scope includes multiple roles that will be discussed here today. Some of these roles include conceptualizing clients, develop a specialized treatment plan, apply specialized skills in trauma therapy, consultation and continuous education.

Conceptualize Clients

Firstly, conceptualizing clients is something that is often understated or talked about. It is behind the scenes work or backstage work because there is often a lot of preparation between sessions. During conceptualization, an effective trauma therapist organizes information gathered about a client’s trauma, their life circumstances, and their functioning in various areas of their life. No two clients are the exact same and the same goes for their treatment process. Conceptualization allows trauma therapists to identify where clients are in the trauma treatment process and identifies ways to help them zero in on the treatment process.

Develop Specialized Treatment Plan

Secondly, a trauma therapist uses information gathered about their client, the goals identified, and targets interventions based on the client’s unique needs and goals. Not all clients are the same, and the same goes for each client’s treatment plans. Trauma therapists carve out time between sessions to adjust the treatment plan based on any new incoming client information, monitor clients’ responses to the interventions, and identify any potential and existing roadblocks to carrying out the interventions.

Apply Specialized Skills in Trauma Therapy

There are several empirically-based trauma treatment approaches that trauma therapists utilize. Examples of empirically-based trauma therapy approaches include Eye Movement and Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), Prolonged Exposure (PE) and other Exposure Therapies, and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) (World Health Organization, 2024).

Consultation

Learning does not end after trauma therapists completes their specialized training programme. This is why continued ongoing consultation is not only important but is also critical in the work that trauma therapists do. When a session gets stuck and progress is limited, seeking consultation from a consultant can help the therapist work through any potential issues that may be causing the roadblocks. Sometimes that might mean that the trauma therapist troubleshoots the issue by clarifying some information with the client, or trying a different approach with the client.

Trauma therapists also seek consultation when and if their own personal stuff shows up in the session, that may make it challenging for the therapist to continue carrying out the intervention. While a client may not be aware of this, trauma therapists’ personal issues may sometimes present themselves when working with clients. A third perspective from a consultant can provide clarity to these issues and the consultant can assist the therapist in finding a viable option or two to resolve these issues and be more effective in helping the client.

Continuous Education

Trauma is multi-faceted and requires various skill sets and different levels of training. Learning from trauma experts and pioneers is a lifelong endeavour and requires continued and renewed interest, motivation, and commitment. Keeping up with new incoming and updated learning keeps trauma therapists sharp and, increases their self-efficacy, and enhances the quality of care offered to their clients.

How do Trauma Therapists Take Care of Themselves?

Are Trauma Therapists Exposed to Any Challenges and Potential Risks?

Trauma therapists are exposed to a significant amount of trauma load, as they work mostly with clients who carry trauma.

One of the biggest risks trauma therapists are exposed to is vicarious traumatization, otherwise known as secondary traumatization. When a client impacted by trauma shares their traumatic experiences, the trauma therapist holds space for clients to share their stories of distress. Over time, this exposure to trauma vicariously predisposes therapists to experiencing some of the trauma symptoms their clients experience such as intrusive thoughts about the trauma content.

Not all trauma therapists are made the same. One therapist may have a lower threshold for emotional load when working with trauma clients and can only see a few clients a day, while another therapist may be able to work with more trauma clients a day without feeling depleted. What is key is for the trauma therapist to recognize their capacity and work within their limits.

Burnout is another potential risk trauma therapists can experience. The nature of trauma therapy is intense emotional and relational work, and therefore burnout can happen to the most well-meaning trauma therapist. If trauma therapists are caught unaware of the early signs of burnout, it may lead to aversion towards seeing their clients, feeling low and depleted around the work they do, and result in the tendency to make mistakes that may have serious repercussions on clients. Overall, the quality of work provided by a trauma therapist who is burnt out would suffer.

Other risks as a result of vicarious traumatization and/or burnout may be that the trauma therapists experiences a poorer quality of life. For example, the trauma therapist may suffer from increased relational conflicts and rupture or disillusionment from their personal and professional identities. Without early recognition of these signs of burnout or vicarious traumatization, a trauma therapist’s career may be shortened prematurely.

How do Trauma Therapists Take Care of Themselves?

There are five ways trauma therapists can take care of themselves during. To manage the said challenges and risks above, trauma therapists can employ different strategies to manage their self-care regime. When a trauma therapist senses one of the above challenges or risks mentioned above, a helpful way to help themselves would be to restrict the number of trauma clients they see or balance their case load with other clientele who are not impacted by trauma.

Secondly, if a trauma therapist’s schedule is at their maximum capacity, the therapist may wish to refer out any new client referrals and indicate they are not accepting anymore new clients. If they are struggling with their current clients, they may also wish to refer out clients that may require a high level of care.

Thirdly, exercising healthy boundaries is important in both a trauma therapist’s personal and professional life. For example, having a structured schedule can ensure that a trauma therapist starts work at a certain time and ends their day at a specific time. Having a sense of structure builds routine and predictability, reducing the likelihood of chaos and disorganization in a trauma therapist’s life, both personally and professionally.

Fourthly, a trauma therapist may need to set aside time for recovery if they are aware they are getting vicariously traumatized or experiencing burnout. This may look like scheduling a vacation or two, or getting their own personal therapy or trauma therapy. The time taken for a trauma therapist to recover is indeterminate and careful and continuous monitoring is imperative.

Last but not least, trauma can be isolating. Seeking support from fellow peers and trauma therapists could be helpful. Building and strengthening connections with family and loved ones is also critical to forging a sense of belonging in what can often feel like a lonely experience.

All the above suggestions are ways that trauma therapists can exercise care, but the best way to engage in self-care is ultimately prevention. Engaging in the above suggestions preventatively at the start of a trauma therapist’s career is most helpful in ensuring that as trauma therapists, we can balance care for self and others. This is a continuous endeavour and cannot be overstated.

At A Heapful of Hope, Dr. Isabelle Gaffney is a highly experienced online trauma therapist in Singapore who provides online trauma counseling to Singapore, Southeast Asia, and North Carolina, USA. Her mission is to bring positive impact and help clients break free from their trauma and heal with hope for the future. With her lived trauma experiences, Dr. Gaffney hopes that like her, trauma survivors can transition from surviving to thriving, eventually finding the energy, peace, and liberation to be the person they want to be.

Dr. Gaffney is also an EMDR consultant who helps consultees learn to increase confidence applying EMDR, build their EMDR skills, and troubleshoot difficulties they may experience when using this modality.