Why Trauma-Informed Care Is Part of Our Treatment Approach

Few things are as important to people as physical and mental health. How often do we hear people say something like, "you don't have anything if you don't have your health?" Enjoying good health is key to living the best life possible, which is why we include trauma-informed care (TIC) in our treatment approach.

Everything we do at KindlyMD revolves around helping patients feel better. We want patients to take control of their own healthcare while simultaneously utilizing the alternative treatments we recommend. But that is not possible if we, as medical providers, don't look at a patient's case from every angle. That leads us right back to TIC.

TIC takes a unique approach to healthcare by accounting for how trauma impacts a patient. Nearly everyone experiences trauma at some point in our lives. For many people, a significant trauma is serious enough to influence both physical and mental health. We need to account for that in creating tailored treatment plans and making recommendations for care.

TIC's Five Key Principles

Trauma-informed care isn't a single methodology or treatment protocol. It doesn't create a tunnel-visioned view of patient care. Quite to the contrary, TIC accounts for a variety of different factors that all work together to improve outcomes. TIC is built on five key principles:

1. Patient Choice – Patients should always be given as many choices as possible. By choosing their own providers, the care they receive, where they receive that care, etc., they maintain control.

2. Patient Safety – Patients deserve to feel physically and emotionally safe whenever they seek care. If they do not feel safe, overcoming trauma will not be easy.

3. Full Collaboration – It is in a patient's best interests to enjoy full collaboration with the entire healthcare team. Patients should be considered equal partners in their treatments rather than mere recipients.

4. Complete Trust – Patients suffering from trauma must be able to trust their medical providers completely. For their part, providers need to be honest, transparent, and committed to confidentiality.

5. Full Empowerment – The TIC model seeks to fully empower patients to take control and to heal. Empowerment is accomplished through support, education, building connections, etc.

When all five principles guide TIC, patients end up being treated as individuals with their own unique circumstances and needs. They are no longer just numbers on a daily patient load report. That's the way healthcare delivery should be.

You Are More Than Just Your Condition

We embrace trauma-informed care in all our clinics because we recognize that you are more than just your condition. Far too often, patients and medical providers do not think beyond the patient's condition and its immediate symptoms. The end result is a treatment with a single goal of alleviating those symptoms. We don't work that way here at KindlyMD.

In addition to the condition that you are suffering from, you have a medical and mental health history. You have a normal lifestyle and routine. You need to live your life according to your circumstances and surroundings. Trauma may or may not be part of the mix.

If there is trauma in your life, it could be affecting your physical and mental health. We want to be informed of that trauma so we can account for it in our tailored treatment plans.

Not all medical professionals practice trauma-informed care. There is nothing we can do about that. But at KindlyMD, TIC is part of our treatment approach. If you are dealing with chronic pain, PTSD, and other chronic conditions that often have trauma attached, we are here to help. We offer alternative treatments along with full support, education, and compassionate care.