Practitioner Reflection Tool

Part One — Trauma-Informed Practice Checklist

Tick what you consistently offer. Leave blank what you'd like to strengthen. This is a reflection, not a grade.

Safety

• The environment (room, waiting area, online setup) is predictable and private
• I begin sessions with orientation: time, structure, choice, exits
• I ask before doing (closing a door, moving closer, sharing an observation)
• I attend to non-verbal cues and pace accordingly
• I treat shutdown, silence, and withdrawal as information, not resistance
• I am reliable with time, location, and boundaries

Trustworthiness & Transparency

• I explain what a session will involve before starting
• I am honest about the limits of confidentiality
• I tell clients what I am writing, sharing, or referring on
• I acknowledge mistakes and repair after ruptures
• I keep clients informed about any changes to fees, time, or availability

Choice

• I offer real choice about pacing, focus, and content of sessions
• I check that consent is ongoing, not a one-off form
• I offer options for grounding, breaks, and pauses
• Clients can decline exercises, prompts, or homework without penalty
• Seating, lighting, and other environmental factors can be adjusted

Collaboration

• Goals are shaped with the client, not for them
• I invite feedback about what is and isn't helping
• I check my formulations with the client rather than presenting them as fact
• Endings and referrals are planned together where possible
• I share language and rationale, not just interventions

Empowerment & Strengths

• I actively notice and name strengths, not only difficulties
• I frame survival responses as adaptations, not pathology
• I support skills and agency the client can use outside sessions
• I avoid language that pathologises or shames
• I recognise progress in small, non-linear steps

Avoiding Retraumatisation

• Regulation and resource are established before deep disclosure
• I titrate content — small doses, checking capacity, pendulating with resource
• I end sessions with grounding, not raw material
• I am aware of common re-enactment dynamics (power, silence, surprise)
• I do not push through overwhelm to 'get somewhere'
• I attend to my own regulation in the room

Psychoeducation & Language

• I offer psychoeducation in small, relevant, plain-language pieces
• I explain how the nervous system responds to threat
• I normalise triggers, numbing, and hypervigilance as survival
• I use the client's language, not just clinical language
• I offer resources clients can revisit between sessions

Cultural, Historical & Gender Awareness

• I consider culture, faith, race, gender, sexuality, and disability in formulation
• I am aware of historical and systemic trauma, not only individual events
• I do not require clients to educate me about their identity
• I actively seek learning outside the therapy room
• I notice power dynamics between me and the client

Care for the Practitioner

• I have regular, trauma-aware supervision
• I notice and name signs of vicarious trauma in myself
• I have practices that regulate my own nervous system
• I have limits on caseload, hours, and complexity
• I have people I can speak to when work is hard

Part Two — Reflection

Part Three — Team & Service Level (optional)

If you work in a team or organisation, consider these too.

• Intake forms are worded with care and only ask what is needed
• Waiting areas are calm, private, and welcoming
• Reception and admin staff are trauma-aware
• Feedback and complaints processes are non-punitive
• Endings (planned or forced) are handled thoughtfully
• Staff have supervision, training, and time to recover
• Policies name trauma-informed principles, not only mention them