We’ve come a long way together in this recovery series. We learned about complex trauma, how to recognize its signs, and the different ways trauma can be healed. Now it’s time to talk about how all of this comes together in real treatment.

At Living Longer Recovery, we believe that healing from addiction isn’t just about stopping substance use. For many people, it’s also about healing from the trauma that often lies underneath the addiction. That’s why we use something called trauma-informed care.

Today, we’re going to explore what trauma-informed care really means and what it looks like in practice. If you or someone you care about is considering treatment, this information will help you understand what to expect and why this approach can make such a difference.

What Is Trauma-Informed Care?

Trauma-informed care isn’t just a fancy term – it’s a completely different way of thinking about treatment. Instead of asking “What’s wrong with you?” trauma-informed care asks “What happened to you?”

This might seem like a small difference, but it changes everything. When we ask “What’s wrong with you?” we’re looking for problems to fix. When we ask “What happened to you?” we’re trying to understand your story and help you heal from your experiences.

Trauma-informed care is built on some important beliefs:

• Trauma is very common, especially among people with addiction
• Trauma affects the whole person – mind, body, and spirit
• People can heal and recover from even the worst experiences
• Treatment should feel safe and supportive, not scary or overwhelming
• Everyone deserves to be treated with respect and dignity

These beliefs shape everything we do at Living Longer Recovery, from how we design our programs to how our staff talks with clients.

Creating Safety First

The most important part of trauma-informed care is creating safety. For someone who has experienced trauma, feeling safe isn’t always easy. Their brain and body have learned to expect danger, even when they’re actually in a safe place.

At Living Longer Recovery, we create safety in many different ways:

Physical Safety: Our facilities are designed to feel welcoming, not institutional. We have comfortable spaces where people can relax and feel at home. We also make sure that everyone knows the rules and expectations so there are no surprises.

Emotional Safety: Our staff is specially trained to understand trauma. They know how to talk with people in ways that don’t feel threatening or judgmental. They understand that someone might react strongly to something that seems small, and they respond with patience and understanding.

Cultural Safety: We respect and honor people from all backgrounds. We understand that trauma can be different for people of different cultures, races, and identities. We work to make sure everyone feels valued and understood.

How We Assess for Trauma

Not everyone who comes to treatment realizes they have trauma. Some people think their experiences weren’t “bad enough” to count as trauma. Others have buried their memories so deep that they’ve forgotten about them.

That’s why we carefully assess everyone for trauma when they start treatment. This isn’t about prying into private details or forcing anyone to share before they’re ready. It’s about understanding the whole picture so we can provide the best care.

Our assessment includes:

• Asking about different types of difficult experiences
• Understanding how trauma might be showing up in someone’s life today
• Learning about the person’s strengths and coping skills
• Finding out what has helped them in the past

This assessment helps us create a treatment plan that makes sense for each person’s unique situation.

Treating Trauma and Addiction Together

One of the most important things about our approach is that we treat trauma and addiction at the same time, not separately. Here’s why this matters:

For many people, substances were a way of coping with trauma pain. If we only focus on stopping the substance use without addressing the trauma, the person is left without their main coping tool but still has all the same pain.

On the other hand, if we only focus on trauma without addressing the addiction, the person might not be able to fully engage in trauma work while they’re still using substances.

When we treat both together, people can:

• Learn new, healthy ways to cope with trauma symptoms
• Process their traumatic experiences safely
• Build the skills they need for long-term recovery
• Understand the connection between their trauma and their addiction

What Treatment Looks Like

So what does trauma-informed addiction treatment actually look like day to day? Here are some of the ways we integrate trauma care into everything we do:

Individual Therapy: Each person works with a therapist who understands both trauma and addiction. They might use approaches like EMDR, somatic therapy, or other methods we discussed in Part 3. The therapy goes at the person’s pace and always prioritizes safety.

Group Therapy: We offer groups specifically focused on trauma recovery. These groups help people realize they’re not alone and learn from others who have similar experiences. We also make sure all our groups are run in trauma-informed ways.

Body-Based Healing: We know that trauma lives in the body, so we offer things like yoga, meditation, and movement therapy. These help people reconnect with their bodies in positive ways.

Family Work: When appropriate and safe, we include family members in the healing process. We help families understand trauma and learn how to support their loved one’s recovery.

Peer Support: We connect people with others who have walked similar paths. Sometimes the most powerful healing happens when someone realizes they’re not alone in their experiences.

Building Life Skills

Trauma-informed care isn’t just about processing past experiences – it’s also about building skills for the future. We help people learn:

• How to recognize and manage trauma triggers
• Healthy ways to cope with difficult emotions
• How to build and maintain healthy relationships
• How to take care of their physical and mental health
• How to create a life that supports their recovery

The Role of Staff

Every single person on our team understands trauma and how it affects people. From the person who answers the phone to the medical staff to the therapists, everyone is trained in trauma-informed care.

Our staff understands that someone might have a strong reaction to something that seems normal. They know how to respond with compassion rather than judgment. They also understand that healing isn’t linear – people might have good days and bad days, and that’s completely normal.

What About Families?

We know that addiction and trauma don’t just affect the person who experienced them – they affect whole families. That’s why we offer education and support for family members too.

We help families understand:

• What trauma is and how it affects their loved one
• How trauma and addiction are connected
• How to support recovery without enabling
• How to take care of themselves during the process

Long-Term Recovery Support

Healing from trauma and addiction doesn’t end when someone finishes treatment. That’s why we provide ongoing support to help people maintain their recovery over time.

This might include:

• Regular check-ins with therapists
• Alumni groups and events
• Referrals to community resources
• Help with finding ongoing therapy or support groups

Hope for the Future

If you’ve made it through this entire series, you now understand something that many people don’t: addiction and trauma are often deeply connected, and healing is possible when we address both together.

Living with trauma and addiction can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to face it alone. With the right support and treatment, people can not only overcome their addiction but also heal from the trauma that may have contributed to it in the first place.

Recovery is not just about surviving – it’s about thriving.

If you’re ready to begin this journey, or if you want to learn more about how trauma-informed care might help you or someone you love, we’re here. Healing is possible, and it starts with taking that first brave step toward getting help.

Remember: you are not defined by what happened to you. You are not broken. You are a survivor with the potential to heal and create the life you deserve.

Thank you for joining us for this series on “Understanding & Healing Complex Trauma in Addiction Recovery.” Your willingness to learn and understand shows tremendous courage and hope.