behavioral health certifications

AIHCP: What is Psychopathology?

Posted on by Mark Moran

Psychopathology is the study of mental disorders and maladaptive behaviors. It is a major area in psychology and mental health. Studying psychopathology requires more than naming and grouping different conditions. It means investigating root causes, known as etiology. This study looks at many areas. Biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors work together to shape a person’s mental health. Researchers and doctors study these factors to create effective treatments and preventive plans. So, this essay explains the details of psychopathology and its causes. It shows why this study helps us feel empathy and understand people with mental disorders.

Psychopathology studies abnormal reactions of mental health in mood, emotion and behavior. Please also review AIHCP’s healthcare certifications

Modern psychotherapies for psychopathology did not emerge till the dawn of the 20th Century upon the emergence of a more empirical based structure.  Despite this, with so many conflicting schools of thought as well as the fact it is far harder to empirically classify mental health vs physical health, there has been debates the nature of many disorders or how they should be classified.  Prior to this age, soul care was the primary way disorders were treated.  Basic concepts of depression, anxiety, or states of hysteria were observed in ancient Greece and held a strong standard in helping individuals, however, the Church would eventually become the leading source of soul and spiritual care.  This led to a complete fusion of mental and spiritual guidelines in the Western world.

The Judeo-Christian world associated any mental disorder to the source of sin.  Later in the Middle Ages, various superstitions also became mixed with soul care.  This weakened soul and pastoral care which was chiefly a religious profession.  Aside from phases of superstition, sound theological soul care maintained a high standard of care.  Today, spiritual care and psychological care has been separated.  Those within religious traditions attempt to integrate and pay homage to the original pastoral and soul care techniques of the early Church and work with many modern psychotherapies.  Others maintain a strict divide between the two schools of thought.

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Definition of Psychopathology

Experts define psychopathology as the scientific study of mental disorders. It covers a wide range of psychological abnormalities that affect emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. This psychology branch studies the symptoms, causes, and treatments of various mental health issues. These issues include anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, and mood disorders. Psychopathology examines the complex nature of these conditions. Researchers study the biological and environmental factors that contribute to mental health conditions. The field also aims to separate normal behavior from pathological behavior. This work helps doctors create better diagnostic criteria and treatment strategies. Studying psychopathology gives a deep view into how the human mind functions. This knowledge leads to progress in therapy practices.

Importance of Studying Psychopathology

Studying mental illness is important for many reasons. It helps us understand disorders and find better ways to treat them. Researchers and doctors look at the causes, signs, and results of these illnesses. This work helps them create more accurate ways to diagnose and treat patients. Learning about the roots of these conditions shows how biology, the environment, and psychology work together. These factors shape how each person experiences mental health. This broad view builds more empathy and support for people. It creates healthier communities and reduces the shame often linked to mental health issues.

Overview of Etiology in Mental Health

Psychopathology has many sources and requires a multidimensional approach

Understanding the causes of mental health disorders is key for creating better treatments and prevention plans. Etiology includes factors that lead to the start and growth of mental health conditions. These influences include biological, psychological, and environmental elements. Biological parts, like genes and brain chemistry, play a major role in making people likely to face mental health issues. Psychological factors like thought patterns and personality traits work with these biological traits. Environmental factors shape a person’s mental health path. These range from childhood events to social status. This broad understanding shows why mental health care needs a wide view. Doctors use many methods to treat the complex nature of these conditions.

Despite this study, there are constant edits of DSM-V as professionals in health and mental health come together to give a universal guideline in diagnosing mental health.  There are many debating sides on how mental health disorders should be classified.  Some look at the source, others prefer symptoms, while others think the degree of abnormal to normal.  Unlike physical health, mental health has a more difficult time being observed and defined albeit neuroscience is giving great insights to the biological elements of mental disorders.  Still, there can very easily be a prejudice based on the school of thought of a professional or other biases of subjective and moral concepts regarding what is abnormal.  There are a range of beliefs and cultural aspects that can make something abnormal versus normal for a particular setting.   This is why the current DSM sticks to a more general etiology of origin and symptoms in attempt to avoid practitioner bias.  Today, a multidimensional approach is utilized that looks at numerous causes for mental disorders and not just one criteria.

Understanding Psychopathology

To understand psychopathology, you must look at the many sides of psychological disorders. These include emotional, cognitive, and behavioral problems. This field looks at the symptoms people show. It studies why these conditions start. These causes include genes, brain biology, the environment, and social life. Understanding the field means seeing how personal pain and social influence work together. This shows why a person’s life situation matters for finding and treating mental health problems. Experts learn about these hard topics and create better ways to help. These ways work on both the symptoms and the main causes of psychological issues.

Disorders can be categorized by the four Ds: Deviance, Distress, Dysfunction and Danger.   How far does one deviate from normal behavior and protocol?  How much does one’s inner thoughts cause emotional angst and pain?  How much does the disorder affect daily activity and interaction?  How much risk to oneself or others does the disorder cause?

Types of Psychological Disorders

Experts group psychological disorders into types with certain symptoms and causes. Mood disorders like depression and bipolar disorder affect emotional control and stability. Anxiety disorders include panic and generalized anxiety disorder. These conditions cause fear and worry. This fear makes daily life hard. Personality disorders like borderline personality disorder affect relationships and self-image. These disorders often lead to harmful behaviors. Psychotic disorders like schizophrenia break a link with reality through hallucinations or delusions. Knowing these groups helps doctors find a diagnosis and create treatment plans for psychopathology.

Symptoms and Diagnostic Criteria

Experts must understand the symptoms and diagnostic rules of many mental disorders to give good treatment. Psychopathology covers many mental health conditions and uses standard guides like the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). This book lists the specific symptoms required for a diagnosis. These symptoms appear as thought problems, emotional struggles, or changes in behavior. These changes can hurt how a person functions in daily life. Mental health experts identify and group these symptoms to tell the difference between disorders. This process helps patients get the right care and specific help. A correct diagnosis helps doctors learn why mental disorders start. This knowledge leads to better plans for therapy and recovery.

Impact on Individuals and Society

Psychopathology affects individuals and society in many ways. These effects go past the illness and touch daily life and how people interact. Individuals with mental disorders often deal with stigma. This leads to being alone, fewer jobs, and hurting relationships. This exclusion makes their health worse and starts a cycle of sadness. This cycle hurts their families and communities. Society pays high costs too. These costs include higher medical bills, less work, and more need for social services. So, learning about mental illness and its causes is important. It helps individuals get better and helps build a healthier society that values mental well-being.

Biological Factors in Etiology

Biological factors help people understand the origins of mental illness. These factors include things like genetic traits, brain chemistry, and unusual physical structures in the brain. Research shows that inherited traits affect the chance of developing various mental disorders. Scientists have found links between specific genes and conditions like schizophrenia and depression. Brain chemicals like serotonin and dopamine help a person control their mood and behavior. Chemical imbalances in these systems can make psychological symptoms better or much worse. Brain scans show that changes in brain structure and connections link to the way certain disorders appear. These findings show how biology and personal experience work together when a mental illness starts.

Genetic Influences and Heredity

Scientists increasingly see the role of genetic influences and heredity in the development of psychopathology as a key area of study. Research indicates that some mental health disorders run in families. This suggests a hereditary link that can make people more likely to have depression, schizophrenia, and anxiety disorders. Genetic risk does not act alone. It interacts with environmental factors to shape how people experience these disorders and show symptoms. This interaction shows why we must understand both genes and surroundings. It explains the many causes of psychopathology and questions the idea that these issues come from genetic inheritance alone. We need to combine genetic facts with psychosocial factors to create better ways to prevent and treat these conditions.

Neurochemical and Brain Structure Abnormalities

Understanding psychopathology requires a look at neurochemical and structural brain abnormalities. These deviations disrupt neural circuitry and neurotransmitter functions. This disruption leads to a wide variety of psychological disorders. For instance, imbalances in neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine link to conditions like depression and schizophrenia. These links show the biological origins of these disorders. These origins have many different parts. Brain scans show structural abnormalities in the brain. These neuroimaging studies reveal changes in areas such as the prefrontal cortex and the limbic system. These areas play a key role in regulating mood, emotion, and behavior. The interplay between these chemical and physical brain changes explains the underlying causes of psychopathology.

Role of Physical Health and Neurological Conditions

The link between physical health and brain conditions helps explain mental illness and its causes. Brain disorders like epilepsy or multiple sclerosis affect how a person thinks and feels. These conditions can start or worsen mental health symptoms like anxiety and depression. Chronic physical illnesses often lead to brain-related issues too. The stress of managing a long-term condition can trigger mental health disorders. This two-way link shows the importance of treating the whole patient. Treating physical health helps brain conditions. This boosts well-being and helps people stay strong against psychiatric symptoms.

Psychological and Environmental Factors in Etiology

Diagnosis involves understanding the extremity of the four Ds. Deviation, distress, dysfunction and danger

Psychological and environmental factors shape how mental illness begins. They show how inner thoughts and their outside surroundings work together. Mental traits like biased thinking and mood control affect how people handle stress and hardship. These traits can lead people toward serious mental disorders. Life conditions matter too. Income, social status, family life, and past trauma can make these risks worse or better. Such forces create many paths to illness. We must look at the whole person to help them heal properly. Doctors use support and therapy to address both inner weaknesses and outer stress. This work builds strength and helps people recover from their own illness.

Cognitive and Emotional Contributions

Cognitive and emotional factors shape how mental health conditions appear. They affect how mental disorders start and grow over time. Thought processes like distorted patterns or harmful beliefs make emotional struggles worse. People then view their lives through negative or irrational filters. Strong feelings like constant anxiety or sadness hurt how the brain works. These emotions make it hard for people to make decisions and solve problems. This two-way link shows why mental health is complex. Wrong thoughts keep emotional pain alive. The pain keeps the thoughts going. Understanding these links helps create effective treatments. These tools aim to break the cycle and build mental health.

Influence of Family and Upbringing

Family and upbringing influence how mental health disorders develop. Early life experiences shape the way a person thinks and feels. Families are the first social groups. Children learn their basic beliefs, coping skills, and emotional reactions in the home. For example, children from supportive homes often show strength. Children who experience neglect or abuse may face emotional struggles and develop harmful habits. Parenting styles and family talk affect a child. Mental health history in the family changes how a child manages social and emotional trials. Experts must look at family influence to understand how mental illnesses begin.

Stress, Trauma, and Socioeconomic Factors

The link between stress, trauma, and social and economic factors is key to how mental illness develops. People from poor backgrounds often face high levels of stress from constant money worries, limited health care, and shaky housing. These pressures worsen the impact of traumatic events. This creates a cycle where mental health problems grow and spread. For example, violence in the home or the community affects poor groups more often. This increases the risk of certain disorders like anxiety and depression. We must understand this complex link to build better ways to help people. These steps will work to reduce the harmful effects on mental health.

Conclusion

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Studying psychopathology and its many origins reveals various factors that contribute to different mental health disorders. Biology, psychology, and environment all play a large part, so these conditions do not come from just one single cause. Genes, brain processes, and social stress work together to create the complexity of these disorders. Mental illness shows up in many different ways, so we need specific plans for treatment and clinical support. A broad view helps us understand mental health much better, and it creates more compassion and better ways to help the people who are affected by them.

Please also review AIHCP’s Mental Health Certifications which include certifications in grief counseling, anger management, crisis intervention, trauma informed care, spiritual counseling, Christian counseling, as well as ADHD consulting, stress management and meditation instructor programs.

Summary of Key Points

Psychopathology and its causes involve several key points. Psychopathology includes many mental disorders. Disruptions in thoughts, emotions, and behaviors define these disorders. They greatly affect how a person functions every day. Genes, biology, psychology, and the environment influence these disorders. The biopsychosocial model shows how life experiences and social settings combine with biological traits. These factors shape mental health outcomes. We can create better treatment methods by understanding these details. This knowledge helps remove the stigma of mental health issues. We see many causes for these disorders. This view helps us understand how common these issues are. We can then find new ways to provide comprehensive treatment and support.

Importance of a Multidimensional Approach

Professionals in psychopathology use many views to understand mental disorders and their causes. This method includes biological, psychological, social, and cultural factors. No single part explains everything about mental health on its own. Genetics, brain chemistry, personal thoughts, and the environment greatly shape a person’s psychological state. Clinicians and researchers combine these different views to find risk factors and create tailored treatments. They build detailed prevention plans for patients. Seeing the whole picture makes diagnoses more accurate and improves patient results. This work helps everyone understand mental health better.

Implications for Treatment and Future Research

The results for treatment and future study in mental illness are deep and have many sides. Knowing the causes of mental disorders helps improve care and guides the creation of specific ways to prevent them. New studies should combine body, mind, and social factors to see the full picture of mental health. This method leads to custom plans for each patient’s needs and makes the treatment work better. Mental health experts, neuroscientists, and social workers must work together. This partnership creates new ways to help and expands current care

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Additional AIHCP Blogs

Freudian Self Defense Mechanisms: Access here

Christian Counseling and Anti-Social Personality Disorders.  Access here

Behavioral Health and the Dark Triad.  Access here

Resources

Barlow, D.H Durand, V.M, & Hoffman, S.G. (2022). Psychopathology: An integrative approach to mental disorders (9th Ed.) Cengage Learning

DSM-5-TR.

McRay, B. W., Yarhouse, M.A., Butman, R.E., & Kiple, C (2016). Modern Psychopathologies: A comprehensive Christian appraisal (2nd Ed.) IVP Academic

Cuncic, A. (2026). “Psychopathology Explained: Types, Causes, and Diagnostic Criteria”. VeryWellMind. Access here

McLeod, S. (2026). “Clinical Psychology and Mental Health”. Simply Psychology.  Access here

 

AIHCP: Marriage and Family Therapy Blog

Posted on by Mark Moran

Marriage and Family Therapy

Marriage and Family Therapy has a variety of schools of thought on how best to help families come together and form healthy bonds

Marriage and family therapy has become a growing area of study and practice. It treats many relationships and mental health problems. Therapists learn methods to match their work to the specific needs of every client. Articles from Australia and other countries show that proven methods matter. These studies check how well therapy styles work. For example, a review looks at many studies. It compares what they found to show that family therapy methods work well when researchers test them using strict rules. Systemic family and couples therapy (SFCT) is flexible and works for many conditions. It has benefits that traditional therapy for one person does not have. This text begins a look at types of marriage and family therapy. It shows how methods help people heal and grow their relationships.(Evans P et al., 2012). Additionally, systemic family and couples therapy (SFCT) has garnered attention for its adaptability and proven success across multiple conditions, showcasing its distinct advantages over traditional individual-centered therapies (Stratton P, 2011). This introduction lays the groundwork for a deeper exploration of the types of marriage and family therapy, aiming to illuminate the practices that effectively foster relational healing and growth.

Please also review AIHCP’s Healthcare Certifications as well as its Behavioral Health Certifications in grief, crisis, anger, stress, trauma and spiritual counseling.

Definition of marriage and family therapy

Marriage and family therapy (MFT) is a special field of mental health care. It looks at how family members interact with each other in their daily lives. This practice uses a system-based model. It shows how personal problems often start from family patterns or social surroundings. MFT improves communication and solves conflicts between people. It helps family members act in healthy ways. These changes help everyone feel better emotionally in the end. Many studies show that different types of family therapy work well. They help address family problems and mental health struggles (). Systemic family and couples therapy (SFCT) is a well-known type of MFT. It is different from standard therapy. It focuses on how people relate to each other instead of just looking at one person. Research proves that SFCT works and people accept it. It is a good tool for many different health issues (). This evidence supports using it in modern clinics. These facts show that MFT helps build healthy families.(Evans P et al., 2012)). Systemic family and couples therapy (SFCT), a prominent form of MFT, diverges from traditional therapy by focusing on relational interactions rather than individual pathology. The research surrounding SFCT confirms its effectiveness and acceptability, establishing it as a valuable resource for a broad array of conditions, thus justifying its integration into contemporary therapeutic practices ((Stratton P, 2011)). This underscores the importance of MFT in fostering healthier familial environments.

Importance of therapy in maintaining healthy relationships

Therapy helps people keep their relationships healthy. It gives individuals and couples a set place to work through hard feelings. People use different methods like cognitive-behavioral therapy and emotionally focused therapy. In these sessions, people learn better ways to talk and grow their emotional intelligence. They also fix deep problems that might hurt their bond. For instance, studies show that therapy greatly cuts down on fights. It makes partners happier, and they understand and respect each other more. Regular sessions help prevent future trouble. Partners get tools to handle stress and fights. They stop these issues from getting worse. A review of relevant studies in Australia and other countries proves this fact today. This review looked at how well different family therapy methods worked in recent years. Partners make therapy a top priority to keep their bond healthy. This choice shows they invest in their own emotional well-being and happiness. Stronger and more resilient bonds grow from this investment. These bonds survive the many hard times in life.(Evans P et al., 2012)(Evans P et al., 2012). By prioritizing therapy as a means of preserving relational health, partners invest in their emotional well-being, ultimately leading to stronger, more resilient partnerships that can thrive amidst life’s challenges.

Overview of different types of therapy approaches

Marriage and family therapists need a deep understanding of many different ways to help their clients. These various methods meet many relationship needs and difficult situations. For example, systemic family therapy looks at the whole family unit. It examines the way family members interact instead of only looking at one person. Reports show this way of working creates strong positive results for hard relationship problems. It is a key tool in modern therapy work. Using mixed methods that take parts from many styles can improve how well treatment works and keep people involved. This shows a shift toward care that fits each person. Research shows that contemporary therapy uses many different tools. A close look at studies shows these ways work well for managing difficult family bonds. These facts show that therapists must stay flexible during their therapy work.(Stratton P, 2011). Additionally, the use of integrative methods that combine elements from multiple therapeutic modalities can enhance treatment effectiveness and engagement, reflecting a trend towards more personalized care. The literature indicates that contemporary practices draw on a range of strategies, and a thorough review of relevant studies underscores the efficacy of these various approaches in addressing the complexities of familial relationships (Evans P et al., 2012). Such insights highlight the importance of adaptability in therapeutic intervention.

Structural Family Therapy

Family therapists work to help families or couples better communicate and resolve differences. Please also review AIHCP’s Healthcare Certifications

Structural Family Therapy (SFT) is a key method in the field of marriage and family therapy. It focuses on family organization and how people interact. SFT looks at the parts of family systems to define small groups and make boundaries clear. This work is necessary to help family members build healthier relationships. This method works well for various clinical problems. Research shows it works for a wide range of conditions. This data shows the method is acceptable and low cost to use in clinical practice. Structural Couple Therapy (SCT) uses SFT rules for couples to fix relationship problems. It offers practical steps that help partners talk and solve problems together. SFT gives a basic way to understand family life. It acts as a flexible tool to improve the health of relationships in various situations.(Stratton P, 2011). Moreover, when applied to couples, Structural Couple Therapy (SCT) integrates the principles of SFT to specifically target relational dysfunctions, offering practical interventions that facilitate communication and problem-solving between partners (George M Simon). Therefore, SFT not only provides a foundational understanding of family dynamics but also serves as a versatile framework for improving relational health within various contexts.

Core principles and therapeutic goals

Effective marriage and family therapy relies on certain core principles and therapeutic goals. These ideas guide experts who help families build better and healthier relationships. One main idea focuses on how family members interact as a system. We cannot look at one person’s actions alone, so we look at larger patterns inside the home. This method is the base for family and couples therapy. Research shows these methods work well, and clients find them acceptable for many different problems. Therapy goals include better talk, fixing fights, and setting clear rules between family members. These goals show why couples must work together as one unit. Therapists use these rules to build a safe and supportive space. This space helps people understand each other and work together. This work leads to long-lasting changes in how people treat one another. These core principles act as more than just a plan for treatment. They also offer a map for reaching long-term growth in relationships.(Stratton P, 2011). This approach is foundational to systemic family and couples therapies, which have been shown to be both effective and acceptable to clients across a variety of presenting issues. Additionally, therapeutic goals often include enhancing communication, resolving conflicts, and establishing healthier boundaries among family members, reflecting the need for a unified approach to couple functioning (George M Simon). By focusing on these principles, therapists strive to create a supportive environment that promotes understanding and collaboration, ultimately leading to sustainable changes in interpersonal dynamics. As such, the core principles of marriage and family therapy serve not only as a framework for intervention but also as a blueprint for achieving lasting relational growth.

Techniques used to address family dynamics

Learning about family patterns is key in marriage and family therapy (MFT). Experts use many techniques to fix relationship problems within the family group. These methods rely on the application of family systems theory. This theory says that the family environment mostly influences a person’s behavior. Therapists use different tools to help people talk and understand each other. They work to change broken patterns and make relationships better. Families use tools like genograms to see their history and relationship styles. This helps them see hidden problems under the surface. Interventions that help people share feelings can reduce fights and improve how families get along. Adding financial therapy helps the process by looking at money problems. These issues often make family stress worse for everyone involved. This work shows how money choices and family talk connect in complex ways. New reports show that many types of therapy help families stay healthy. They show that therapists must change their methods for each unique family situation. So, by mixing different methods, MFT creates paths for families to heal and understand each other.(Kristy A et al., 2018). Recent literature reviews highlight the effectiveness of diverse therapy modalities in fostering healthier family relations, demonstrating the necessity for adaptable approaches tailored to each unique family context (Evans P et al., 2012). Thus, by blending various techniques, MFT can create transformative pathways toward healing and understanding within families.

Common issues treated with structural therapy

Structural therapy addresses many common problems in marriage and family therapy. These concerns affect how families and couples relate. This method focuses on family interactions and hierarchies. It aims to fix broken patterns. These patterns stop people from talking well or feeling close. Treatment often covers topics like parent fights, boundaries between generations, and rivalry among siblings. Structural couple therapy (SCT) focuses on how partners interact. It sees how personal roles and boundaries can lead to pain or distance. SCT uses ideas from family therapy to help couples work through internal differences. It strengthens their bond and helps the relationship work better for both people. Research shows systemic family and couples therapy (SFCT) works well for many relationship concerns. Studies confirm it is a good and affordable choice for treatment. Structural therapy gives people good ways to face and fix problems in families or couples. It helps build healthier relationships.(George M Simon). Moreover, research highlights the significant effectiveness of systemic family and couples therapy (SFCT) in addressing a broad spectrum of relational issues, confirming its utility as both an acceptable and cost-effective therapeutic option (Stratton P, 2011). Ultimately, structural therapy offers valuable strategies for confronting and resolving issues within familial and couple contexts, thereby promoting healthier relationships.

Strategic Family Therapy

Marriage and Family Therapies help keep families healthy

Strategic Family Therapy (SFT) is a well-known method in marriage and family therapy. It focuses on how people interact with each other to create positive change. This model finds and fixes poor communication and behavior patterns. These patterns often cause many family problems. SFT looks at how the family interacts in the present. It does not look deep into the past or into old historical issues. This helps families find good ways to resolve their conflicts. Research shows that SFT works well. Long reviews show it works for many different clinical problems. Recent studies back these findings up. They show that family and couples therapy gets good results. These methods are cheap and easy for clients to use today (, ). These traits make SFT useful for modern practice. It is a helpful tool for therapists to use with families.(Evans P et al., 2012), (Stratton P, 2011)). Such attributes underscore the relevance of SFT in contemporary therapeutic practices, making it a valuable tool for clinicians.

Focus on problem-solving and behavior change

Marriage and family therapy focuses on solving problems and changing behavior. This focus helps create successful treatments for people and families. Therapists use a family systems method to understand relationships and how people act. They know that change in one part of a family affects all the other parts of that family. This view is helpful. It lets therapists find and treat many problems. These issues include relationship struggles and mood disorders. The process helps people interact in better ways. Therapists apply certain methods to start key talks. These talks aim to change old habits and views that stop growth. Research on these methods proves they work well. The data shows success in treating many mental and social hurdles. These include anxiety and the struggle to live with physical illness over many years. Combining problem-solving steps in therapy helps change behavior quickly. It builds healthy relationships for the long-term future of those family members.(Kristy A et al., 2018)(Carr A, 2018). Ultimately, the integration of problem-solving strategies within therapy not only facilitates immediate behavior change but also promotes long-term relational well-being

Role of therapist directives and interventions

Therapist directives and interventions play a key part in marriage and family therapy. They guide the process toward positive results. These actions vary from communication training to behavioral tasks. The choice depends on the theory of the therapist. For example, cognitive-behavioral methods use direct plans to challenge unhelpful thoughts. Systemic therapy focuses on how family members relate and uses quiet guidance. Studies show these methods work well. They report clear gains in how families get along after using structured therapist directives. A recent review explains why experts must change their methods to fit the exact needs of each family. This applies to families from many backgrounds. The review looked at studies from Australia and other countries. It shows that the best treatments combine proven methods with cultural changes. These results showcase the wide spectrum and efficacy of therapist directives to improve family therapy outcomes.(Evans P et al., 2012)(Evans P et al., 2012).

Typical scenarios where strategic therapy is effective

Strategic therapy works very well in many common situations found in marriage and family dynamics. For instance, families with communication problems benefit very much from treatments that reframe how they talk to each other. Therapists look at relationship patterns to find behaviors that do not work well. They use methods to create better communication habits among all family members. Strategic therapy helps during major life changes. These changes include things like divorce or joining two families together. Such events challenge the habits that families built over long periods. This method helps with the concerns of one person. It looks at the systemic factors behind relationship issues. Research shows that these therapies work well for people. Clients find them acceptable. They do not cost much for many different conditions. This proof makes strategic methods important in therapy today. It shows why these tools are useful in modern therapeutic practices.(Kristy A et al., 2018)(Stratton P, 2011).

Bowenian Family Therapy

Conflict resolution and understanding different family roles is key to helping families stay healthy.

Murray Bowen developed Bowenian Family Therapy. It looks at complex family patterns and the ways mental health issues pass through generations. Other therapy styles look mostly at individual change. Bowenian therapy works to improve the ways family members relate to each other. This method helps people separate their own emotional responses from the feelings of their relatives. It builds personal independence and makes family bonds stronger. Many studies show this therapy works well. It helps with anxiety, depression, and fights between relatives or partners. Reviews of systemic family and couples therapy (SFCT) show that clients like these methods. These reviews state it works for many mental health conditions (, ). This systemic view helps therapists look at how family history shapes the present. They guide clients to interact in better ways. This creates a lasting change in family dynamics.(Evans P et al., 2012), (Stratton P, 2011)). This systemic perspective allows therapists to explore past family influences while guiding clients towards healthier interactions, thereby establishing a lasting impact on family dynamics.

Emphasis on family systems and multigenerational patterns

Modern marriage and family therapy focuses on family systems and patterns across many generations. This focus helps people understand how relatives act together. The method shows that a person’s behavior does not come only from their own life. It comes from the history and roles within the whole family too. Experts use systemic family and couples therapy (SFCT) to find and fix these deep links. They show how family troubles move from one generation to the next. Studies show that SFCT works well for many different health issues. Clients like the treatment and feel glad they used it. This makes the method a useful part of medical practice. We can see how family therapy changed over many years. This history shows that family systems theory is a key part of mental health care now. Seeing and fixing how relatives affect each other brings big changes to the home. This work makes therapy more successful for families.(Stratton P, 2011). Furthermore, examining the evolution of family therapy underscores the lasting impact of family systems theory, positioning it as crucial for mental health services today (James L Framo, 1996). Ultimately, acknowledging and addressing multigenerational influences can lead to transformative changes in family dynamics, enhancing the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions.

  1. Key concepts such as differentiation of self

In marriage and family therapy, the idea of differentiation of self is key for building healthy relationships. Differentiation is the way a person keeps their sense of self. They do this by managing their feelings and connections with others. This idea comes from family systems theory. The theory links family patterns to a person’s actions. Therapists use methods to help clients grow their differentiation of self. They help clients see the effect of family beliefs and culture on their identities (). For example, Structural Couple Therapy (SCT) looks at couple interactions. It focuses on differences within subsystems and their effect on the whole system (). By building a stronger differentiation of self, therapists help clients talk better. They help them connect with feelings. This leads to better ways to solve fights and more happiness in the relationship.(Kristy A et al., 2018)). For example, Structural Couple Therapy (SCT) addresses the intricacies of couple dynamics, focusing on internal differences within subsystems and how these affect overall functioning ((George M Simon)). By enhancing differentiation of self, therapists can facilitate healthier communication patterns and emotional connections, ultimately leading to more effective conflict resolution and relational satisfaction.

Application in long-term family issues and emotional fusion

Long-term family issues often start with emotional fusion. Individual identities become too tied together. This leads to unhealthy patterns of interaction. Systemic family therapy (SFT) is a strong way to solve these issues. It builds better relationships and creates stronger emotional boundaries between family members. SFT shows conflict, anxiety, and chronic illness keep people emotionally stuck together. These problems stop personal growth and family unity. Research shows systemic methods lower the stress from these long-term problems. This confirms they work in many family situations. Meta-analyses and controlled trials show great success using family therapy for relationship stress and mental health problems. These studies support the claim SFT provides special tools. These tools differ from traditional therapies that focus only on individual change. The broad success of SFT treats relationship issues and helps people feel independent. It creates clearer communication. These changes lead to better family life and well-being over time.(Carr A, 2018). Furthermore, the broad effectiveness of SFT not only addresses relational issues but also fosters a sense of autonomy and clearer communication, translating into improved family functioning and well-being over time (Stratton P, 2011).

Conclusion

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Examining different types of marriage and family therapy shows that professionals must adapt their methods to fit each family. Current research highlights how well these methods work. A growing body of writing examines how they apply in different settings. Recent studies show that specific therapeutic techniques offer different advantages based on the problems a family faces. These techniques include cognitive-behavioral therapy, narrative therapy, and systemic therapy. Comparing Australian and international studies shows that successful practices are similar. This fact indicates that the main rules of therapy apply everywhere. Cultural differences exist, but the core principles remain relevant. The field of therapy continues to grow. Experts will keep checking results to improve their methods and make them work better. This process helps families get the right support for their specific needs. These steps keep marriage and family therapy an active and important part of mental health care.(Evans P et al., 2012). As the field continues to grow, ongoing evaluation of therapeutic outcomes will serve to refine methods and enhance their effectiveness, ensuring that families receive the most appropriate support for their needs (Evans P et al., 2012). In this way, marriage and family therapy remains a dynamic and vital component of mental health care.

Please also review AIHCP’s Behavioral Health Certifications

Summary of major therapy types and their unique contributions

Researchers look at many types of marriage and family therapy. People should note the unique ways these methods help the field. Each method uses a different framework to fix complex relationship problems. These methods help family members talk better and feel closer to one another. Systemic family and couples therapy (SFCT) looks at interactions between people. It does not just look at one person at a time. This tool helps people seeking to change their relationships. Research shows SFCT works for many health conditions. Studies show good results for people in this therapy. Many books and papers show different ways therapy works. Cognitive-behavioral therapy helps people change bad ways of thinking. Narrative therapy helps clients write new stories for their lives. Bringing these therapies together creates good plans for treatment to help couples and families succeed. These plans meet the many needs of families and couples today.(Stratton P, 2011). Additionally, the growing body of literature demonstrates the versatility of different therapy approaches, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, which emphasizes altering maladaptive thought patterns, or narrative therapy, which empowers clients to reconstruct their personal narratives. Ultimately, the synthesis of these therapies yields comprehensive strategies that address the multifaceted needs of families and couples (Evans P et al., 2012).

Importance of selecting appropriate therapy for specific family needs

Marriage and family therapy success depends on choosing methods for each family’s unique needs. Families have different patterns, struggles, and histories. Therapists must understand these details to provide help that works for everyone. Research shows that therapy types must match each family situation and background. One review summarized different therapy types and their effectiveness through strict methods. Systemic family and couples therapy, or SFCT, adapts well to many family shapes and problems. This method provides a helpful resource that differs from therapies focused on one person. This resource works differently than traditional therapies that focus on individuals. Studies confirm this method works and that clients like the results it brings. The flexible nature of SFCT helps solve a wide range of family challenges and issues. Selecting the right therapy helps family systems reach positive outcomes over time.(Evans P et al., 2012). Systemic family and couples therapy (SFCT), in particular, has demonstrated a notable capacity to adapt to diverse family structures and issues, providing a valuable resource that differs markedly from traditional individual-focused therapies. Empirical studies confirm its efficacy and client acceptability, suggesting that the flexibility of SFCT offers significant advantages for addressing a wide array of familial challenges (Stratton P, 2011). Thus, the careful selection of therapy is indispensable for fostering positive outcomes in family systems.

Future directions in marriage and family therapy research and practice

Marriage and Family Therapy

The field of marriage and family therapy (MFT) changes every single day. Future work must use new research methods and inclusive ways to help different family structures. Professionals add technology like teletherapy and digital tools to help more people get help. These tools make therapy easier to reach for marginalized populations who often face barriers. Evidence-based practice advocated in promotes the careful study of different therapy types. This study improves current methods and creates new ones for therapists to use. Systemic family and couples therapy (SFCT) provides many paths for future study, as reported in . This model works for many different health conditions and helps many people in various settings. More study on how it works will show new ways to help clients improve. MFT builds better habits by focusing on inclusion and hard facts. This focus helps meet the complex needs of families today. It keeps therapy relevant and effective as the wider society changes over time.(Evans P et al., 2012) encourages the rigorous evaluation of various therapeutic modalities, refining existing approaches and cultivating new strategies. Systemic family and couples therapy (SFCT) is one model that offers promising avenues for future exploration, as reported in (Stratton P, 2011). Its adaptability to a range of conditions highlights its potential for broad application, suggesting that further investigation of its mechanisms may reveal additional insights into improving client outcomes. By prioritizing both inclusivity and empirical validation, MFT can progress toward more effective practices that meet the complex needs of contemporary families, thereby ensuring the relevance and efficacy of therapeutic interventions in a changing societal landscape.

Please also review AIHCP’s Healthcare Certifications

Additional AIHCP Blogs

Narrative Therapy and Grief: Access here

Additional Resources

Cherry, K. (2024). “What Is a Marriage and Family Therapist?”.  VeryWellMind.  Access here

“Marriage and Family Therapy”. Psychology Today.  Access here

Seay, N. (2025). “Marriage and Family Therapy”. MentalHealth.com. Access here

 

 

 

AIHCP: Gestalt and Counseling

Posted on by Mark Moran

Fritz Pearls and his wife are considered the pioneers behind the development of Gestalt Therapy and its numerous techniques.  While, like many numerous systems, Gestalt by itself is limited by its own definitions and guidelines, but still nonetheless has supplied the counseling sciences with numerous theories as well as practices to aid counselors in helping people.  Pearls, a German immigrant, spent most of his later lifetime in the USA, developing and implementing the concepts of Gestalt.  It remains to this day an original way to help individuals face psychological issues and pursue change.

Gestalt focuses on the here and now and awareness of one’ internal and true emotions. Please also review AIHCP’s Behavioral Health Certifications, especially in Grief Counseling

Please also review AIHCP’s numerous Behavioral Health Certifications, including Grief Counseling, Christian Counseling, Trauma Informed Care, Crisis Intervention, as well as Stress Management, ADHD Consulting, Anger Management, Clinical Hypnotherapy, EFT, and Meditation.

Gestalt Therapy

Gestalt is very focused on the now of the person.  It sees current problems in how individuals hide behind their issues and avoid them.  It is less concerned with issues of the past but how more so the person deals with the now and how that person transforms.  It is very person centered in finding the answers in the client but unlike classical person centered therapies which has a more gentle guiding approach, Gestalt employs more direct confrontation when necessary to push a person in facing oneself in the present.  Like most person centered therapies, Gestalt feels the power of change and how to live resides in the subjective reality of the person and that when a person accepts who he or she is and faces the illusions of self and takes responsibility for oneself, then one can become free and have a more healthy mental life.  In this way, Gestalt looks at the wholeness of the person and challenges the person to self awareness.  It is because of this approach, Gestalt is immersed in the human experience and how life is experienced.  In its concern of the here and now, as well self awareness, it is more concerned with the question of how than the question of why.

Utilization of Gestalt

Pearls utilized exercises and experiments as the way to help clients find self awareness.  Exercises helped clients experience the now of emotion, but experiments were deeper techniques to help a person become self aware and challenge oneself.  Many of these experiments employed by the therapist was utilized as ways for the client to become self aware and how to properly express oneself to find balance with one’s inner voice.  In many cases, Pearls would identify acts of phoniness by a person due to external pressures that subdued the internal personality of a person.  He would note how one’s tone of voice, or facial expressions, or body postures would not match the feeling internally.  He utilized various exercises and experiments to help the person break free of these uncomfortable anxieties and to better express oneself.

Gestalt therapy challenges a person to be more self aware of how the person feels

Pearls employed various linguistic alterations to a person’s vocabulary or how the person stated something in therapy.  This involved utilizing personal pronouns more in the client’s speech.  Instead of making a statement that was void of personal need, Pearls would instruct the person to utilize the pronoun “I” to own the statement.  Instead of a passive declaration of what one desired or wanted or disliked, Pearls instructed the client to say “I need, or I want, or I dislike”.  In addition, he removed such contractions as “can’t” to “won’t”.  Instead of stating I cannot do something, he pushed clients to say I will not do something.  Also, instead of the conjunction “but” used to imply an excuse, he instructed clients to use the word “and”.  For example,  if someone has a paper to write and states “I cannot write the paper tonight, but I may try to do it tomorrow”, Pearls would have the client transfer the statement to “I will not write the paper tonight and I will try do it tomorrow”.   Pearls also would emphasize the use of the phrase, “I take responsibility for this”.  Hence a person would say “I take responsibility for not writing the paper tonight”.  This clearly shows an emphasis of owning one’s inner feelings more deeply and also expressing what one wants in a more authoritative, responsible and personal way.  Excuses, passive language and not asserting one’s own needs into a sentence were signs of the person not being self aware of what one needs and not taking responsibility for it.  Hence, Pearls was less concerned about other pronouns of “them” or “us” or how others make one feel but more interested in how oneself makes one feel.

In addition to speaking with more authority and emphasizing responsibility for one’s words, thoughts and actions, Pearls would help individuals identify body posture, nervous ticks, or uncomfortable laughs as the ways the body and its physiology would manifest discord between expression and the actual feeling.  Pearls would frequently call a person out with confrontation for expressing oneself in contradiction to how one felt.  He would suggest exaggeration of these tics, or tones, to see how truly silly or phony they were in contrast to how the person felt in the moment.  Through the experiment of exaggeration, Pearls encouraged one to bite one’s lip harder, or tense their jaw more pronounced so that the person could recognize these manifestations when internal feelings emerged.  The key for Pearls was to help the client discover and become aware of one’s deeper feelings in the now moment and how to properly communicate and express them.  This involved analyzing one’s own bodily reactions in correlation with the feelings internally.

The most famous experiments of Pearls was the empty chair.  This created an opportunity for one to confront oneself, or another in the safety and privacy of therapy.  It permitted one to become aware of self, but also to express emotions that may have been kept in check.  The first usage of this experiment was direct dialogue between self.  For example, a middle age man may have many regrets in life and has two images of himself; namely the driving and commanding side of himself and then the more relaxed version of self.  At direction of the therapist, the man would move from his chair to the other chair and imagine speaking to himself in a more authoritative way.  In response, the man then would remove to his original chair and respond to his more aggressive and demanding side.  This dialogue would continue to until the man discovered his many needs.  In other cases, the empty chair can be utilized as a way for an individual to confront another person.  This may be an ex spouse, a parent, a boss, a deceased family member, or even God.  The client is encouraged to speak to this person if as the person was truly sitting there.  Obviously this is an advanced therapeutic tool and should be conducted by a trained therapist due to emotional eruptions that can occur.  Pearls saw this as a way for a person to truly express one’s emotions without filter or restraint free from possible danger of physical confrontation.

Conclusion

Please also review AIHCP’s numerous behavioral and healthcare certifications

Gestalt has many beneficial applications to help people properly express their feelings, be aware of themselves and become more connected to how they truly feel.  It is beneficial for those suffering from anxiety as well as depression.  However it does possess some limitations.  It is more emotional in nature and does not give enough attention to the intellectual and cognitive issues surrounding mental health.  It also focuses more the now without less concern for the past.  Questions such as why and what are more replaced with how can we handle this now.  It is also weighs heavily on one’s own personal needs for self actualization and less concern for the needs of others.  This is a double edged sword if not properly put into context.  Further, it possesses a more subjective morality in place of universal objective standards of behavior or morality.  Yet, many of its experiments and uses are widely accepted and utilized in daily practice.  Very few counselors completely adhere to one particular school over another, so the percentage is quite low of a counselor being a strictly Gestalt therapist.  Most modern day counselors share Gestalt techniques and implement them with person centered therapies and behavioral therapies for maximum results.

Please also review AIHCP’s Behavioral Health Certifications and see if any of them meet your academic and professional goals.

Additional AIHCP Blogs

Person Centered Counseling.  Access here

Existential Counseling.  Access here

Jungian Psychology.  Access here

References

Tan, S-Y. (2022). Counseling and psychology: A Christian perspective (2nd Edition). Baker Academic.

Additional Resources

Clark, J. (2025). How Gestalt Therapy Works. Very Well Mind. Access here

Gestalt Therapy. Psychology Today.  Access here

Guy-Evans, O. (2025). Gestalt Therapy: Definition, Types, Techniques, and Efficacy. Simply Psychology.  Access here

Lindsey, C. (2022). All About Gestalt Therapy. PsychCentral.  Access here

 

 

 

 

 

 

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AIHCP: Person/Client Centered Counseling

Posted on by Mark Moran

AIHCP has numerous blogs based on Carl Rogers and his Client or Human/Person Centered Based Counseling.  This blog will focus some on the general themes, goals and history of the therapy and how it set the standard for many modern day counseling techniques.  Whether one belongs solely to Rogerian Counseling, or instead mixes and matches some of the philosophies and skills where needed, it remains nearly impossible for numerous Rogerian ideals not to be part of any counseling curriculum and utilized within the professional and clinical spectrum.

Please also review AIHCP’s various Behavioral and Healthcare Certifications and see if they meet your academic and professional goals.

Rogerian Psychology and Counseling- A Client/Person Centered Approach

Rogerian or person centered counseling finds its roots in counselors who express empathy and unconditional positive regard

In essence, Rogers possessed a more optimistic account of human nature and believed that helping people involved helping them help themselves and find inner healing.  Instead of diagnosis, or pre-determined psycho-analysis, Roger developed a psychology and counseling that frowned upon diagnosis as well as counselor authoritarian directives but saw the counselor more as a guide and helper in unlocking a person’s potential to find happiness and balance in life.   This type of counseling took some key core concepts from Adler and then became a main stay in the counseling fields since the Mid 20th Century.

Rogers taught that counselors need to help clients self-actualize to become their best self.  This was accomplished through guidance that helped the person choose what is best for them.  The counselor could help a person reach self actualization by helping them find congruence or genuineness with their true self.  When a person was at odds with their true self or their words did not match their deeds, a counselor could help a person see this incongruence (Tan, 2022).  In addition to helping a person actualize self, counselors within Rogerian schools of thought help clients understand the value of their own subjective experiences.  Rogers believed that the subjective experience of a person was the most true form of self and the best way to find congruence within a person.   However, the most lasting and important aspect involves the client’s condition of worth.  Rogers emphasized that counselors must show deep empathy, unconditional positive regard and genuineness as core concepts in helping people (Tan, 2022).   Ultimately the basis of Rogerian therapy is to not solve problems but to unlock an individual’s own solving problem abilities (Tan, 2022).

In other blogs, we discuss the critical importance of unconditional positive regard, congruence and empathy.  These again are the most lasing elements of Rogerian psychology.  While many adhere to some of the other concepts of subjective experience, or the role of the counselor, these three standards of counseling remain core in most counseling schools as essential elements in helping people.  Beyond just being taught, these lasting qualities of the counselor also show empirically and in clinical studies strong effectiveness in helping the client.  While classic Rogerian counseling swayed away from diagnosis or various therapeutic strategies, it always emphasized the importance of the counselor/client relationship.  In many studies, this is the most key part whether counseling works or not.  While various therapeutic strategies are essential, which ones used or not used, has more power when amplified with the counselor/client relationship.

In recent years, Rogerian Counseling has also been transformed by modifications, such Motivational Interviewing.   Tan points out that this is also a person centered approach and also has many shared core elements (2022).  Initially developed by William Miller, Motivational Interviewing utilizes Rogerian strategies and counselor based qualities to help clients reach goals.  Tan points out that Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative approach of strengthening a person’s motivation and commitment to change.  He also points out that it looks to address the ambivalence about change and is designed to help the person’s motivation by assigning goals and also exploring a person’s reasons to look for change (2022).

Interviewing involves utilizing empathy, congruence as well as unconditional positive regard, but also involves the counselor rolling with resistance of the client in a non-confrontational way.  Instead helping to facilitate a picture for the client to see on one’s own to desire the change.  In doing so, the counselor helps to support self efficacy and freedom of choice to fully embrace a change and work towards a goal (Tan, 2022).

Strengths and Weaknesses

Like any counseling system or psychological school of thought, one can be tied down and limited if only subject to one way of doing things with the psychological mind.  This bears true with one who only utilizes psychodynamic ways without integration of other possible therapies in the cognitive fields, or for that matter approaching one from a cognitive or behavioral school of thought.  Like wise, person centered psychology and counseling has strengths that can be employed, but also weaknesses when isolated and used as a the only way conducting counseling.

From a strength standpoint, the utilization of the concepts of unconditional positive regard, congruence and empathy are all staples of modern counseling.  Person centered therapy also has a very optimistic view of a the human person and is rich in encouraging and helping someone find the ability to change through one’s innate abilities.  It treasures freedom to choose which is the only way true change can occur.

From a weakness standpoint, it ins purest form, it avoids diagnosis and some therapies which when involving deeper trauma or pathology require more than just discussing an issue but also helping the mind heal through other proven strategies.   Also, it emphasizes a complete subjective form of happiness and process of making decisions.  This can lead to one’s own selfish motives, as well as choosing incorrectly in the overall scheme of life.   Counselors while observing need to sometimes direct.  Rogers did point to empathetic confrontation, but it needs to sometimes go farther than merely helping a person see the contradiction in one’s life but to also sometimes guide the person to the right choice.  In Rogerian psychology, the counselor remains as benign a source of authority as possible in regards to direction.  Many clients need guidance.  This is not to assert they need told what and how to do something, but sometimes, a person needs direction.  The concepts of subjective truth also come into conflict with many ideals on objective truth, as well as the person belonging to more than merely oneself but also belonging to a social construct that includes other people, as well as religious beliefs.  For some, God is the source of self actualization, not the human person.  For others, self actualization can become a very selfish design that ignores others and their needs. (Tan, 2022).

So again, I feel there always needs to be a measure of balance with any systems of psychology and counseling.  While schools of thought exist in their purity, many counselors utilize the best of all the schools and fit it to meet the unique needs of a client.

Conclusion

Please also review AIHCP’s Healthcare Certification programs and see if they match your academic or professional goals

Carl Rogers ideas and philosophies presented to counseling were revolutionary when compared to Freudian systems.  It expressed that individuals were not preprogrammed and had the innate ability to find congruence when guided by a trained counselor.  The counselor was not there to solve problems but help untap the ability of the client to solve their problems.  This leads to a very subjective experience of self actualization which has its strengths and weaknesses in counseling.  The largest contribution of Rogers was the counseling qualities he demanded from all counselors.  Namely congruence, empathy and unconditional positive regard.  These elements help forge a healthy counselor and client relationship which according to studies is more important and a bigger factor in client progress than any particular therapeutic strategy employed alone.  It is the counselor and client’s relationship that is the biggest factor in whether the counseling experiment works or does not work.

Please also review AIHCP’s Behavioral Health Certifications in Grief Counseling, Christian Counseling, Trauma Counseling, Crisis Counseling, Stress Management and Anger Mangement.

Additional Blogs

Empathy in Counseling: Access here

Rogerian Counseling and Depression: Access here

Humanistic Approach and Grief: Access here

 Reference

Tan, S-Y. (2022). Counseling and psychology: A Christian perspective (2nd Edition). Baker Academic.

Additional Resources

The Role of Empathy in Effective Counselling. (2024). Mental Mastery. Access here

“Accurate Empathic Understanding: A Core Component of Client-Centered Counseling” (2024). Psychology Town. Access here

Sutton, J. (2021). “Unconditional Positive Regard: 17 Worksheets & Activities”. Positive Psychology.  Access here

Cherry, K. (2024). “Unconditional Positive Regard in Psychology”. Very Well Mind. Access here

 

 

Behavioral and Mental Health Certifications: Signs of Trauma in the Population

Posted on by Mark Moran

Trauma is part of life.  Bad things occur and for some the bad things are more horrific and imprinting upon the person.  Estimates themselves reflect this.  It is calculated that 70 percent of all human beings will experience some type of trauma that is beyond the basic losses and pains of this temporal world.  In addition, 75 percent of children will experience some type of adverse childhood experience (ACE) that can negatively effect their emotional, mental, social and physical development.

While natural disaster trauma and collective social traumas leave deep marks on human beings, it is the violent and mystifying actions of evil at the hands of other human beings that leave the most devastating marks on the soul.  Wars, genocides, human trafficking, sexual abuse, rape, shootings as well as being witness to horrific murders and abusive events can all leave a horrible imprint on a person, whether child or adult.  While the event itself plays a key role, amazingly some individuals can process trauma and not linger with the effects of prolonged pain or PTSD.  This does not make those succumb to trauma weak, or cowardly, but illustrates the reality that trauma is not just about the horrific event but also the subjective experience and the lingering effects following it.  One’s genetic makeup, the social constructs and support around them, individual character and resiliency, as well as genetic and mental makeup due to past history can all play roles in how one may digest and cope trauma as opposed to another.

Victims need their trauma identified so they can heal. Please also review AIHCP’s Trauma informed care program and other behavioral health certifications

In states of crisis, a person suffers from disequilibrium and de-stabilization of self.  The brain loses ability to handle the current situation because it overwhelms one’s coping mechanism.  This leads to emotional distress and inability to cope.  One is unable to think or act clearly.  Those who experience severe trauma in the acute moment of it usually experience this overwhelming leaving them in the aftermath confused, lost and emotional unstable.  The purpose of crisis intervention and emotional triage via emotional and psychological first aid are essential in these moments to help the person find equilibrium as well as stabilization but the efforts of long term trauma care and counseling falls under trauma informed care.

Within the population there is a high level of individuals suffering from long term trauma and PTSD.  It is important for mental health and healthcare professionals to understand the signs of trauma and be better equipped to help those experiencing it in the present as well as those suffering from the past lingering effects.

Please also review AIHCP’s Trauma Informed Care, as well as Crisis Intervention and other behavioral and mental health certifications.  Qualified professionals can utilize these certifications within the scope of their practice to better help those in pastoral or clinical settings of needed care.

Trauma Signs

Flight, Flee, Freeze or Fawn

The most common reactions to trauma include fight, flight, freeze or fawn (Compton, 2024 p. 105-107).  The latter two have been added over the years and are equally important.  In understanding human survival, these mechanisms are key in helping an individual make it through a life threatening situation.  How a a person responds or does not respond does not equate to inadequacy or cowardice or acceptance of an event, but relates to numerous subconscious immediate decisions in a given situation based on subjective experiences within the person’s life.  These particular reactions also play key roles in later trauma recovery because individuals may question, feel guilty or be ashamed of particular reactions.

When the body experiences a threat, the brain and body activate the sympathetic nervous system.  This system releases cortisol into the blood stream and other hormones to help prepare the body for danger.  The heart rate rises, blood flow increases and muscles tighten to help the body fend off the threat.  In this moment of extreme stress, the brain mixed with multiple emotional responses decides to fight off the situation, flee the situation, or in some cases, shuts down the body to freeze.  This is seen in nature as well.  Animals will fight back, flee or sometimes freeze in utter fear in hopes of being left alone.  In human beings, many of the same thoughts race through the mind.  With emotion, comes intellectual thoughts based on our subjective history and experience.  Can I fight this threat, if not, can I flee or avoid it, or should I freeze and hope.  Many times in horror movies, we see the later.  We scream at the television for the actor or actress to run or move, but the person is so terrified, he or she shows no resistance to the killer, slasher or monster.  This response of freeze is referred to tonic immobility and it tied to the body’s psychological attempt to detach from reality and the danger since it has accepted fight of flight as an impossible option (Compton, 2024, p. 106).  Hence some women who are raped, may completely freeze and the body shuts down while the brain experiences the fear and trauma.  During this shutdown, some psychologists use other terms to explain this sensation of immobility.  During the intense moments of fright of the trauma, the body may flag itself into immobility.  During this intense freeze or flagging, ironically the sympathetic nervous system and its reaction releases itself to the parasympathetic system which returns blood back to the core of the body, eases muscle tension, and the body becomes almost frozen.  Frozen in fright, the mental brain looks to shut down or dissociate from the trauma. In these cases, many victims may not even feel physical pain, see as clearly, or hear but they remain frozen and in some cases, even dissociate to the point of almost feeling as if out of the body and looking downward.  In addition, since the trauma is so intense, the body’s coping mechanism looks to detach and many details of the assault or trauma or not properly logged.  Instead, the emotional part of the brain takes over.  This is also why sometimes details of survivors in regards to trauma may be not be as precise as law enforcement sometimes may wish.  Finally, beyond this freezing, fright and flagging, occurs the final defense mechanism of the body which involves faint.  In this, the body shuts down consciousness to the horrible ideal.

Fight, flight, freeze or fawn responses to survival situations.

In regards to fawn, victims in an attempt to survive will work with the assailant and not resist but attempt to be be accepting of the situation.  Children, and again women in assault cases, many times to survive will use this last option as a way in hopes of reducing the pain inflicted.  Without escape or any hope, they succumb to the wishes of the assailant whether it involves laughing with them, or taking drugs with them, or pretending to enjoy, or partake to avoid physical injury.  According to Compton, this response is completely unique to humans as a way to escape a situation in hopes of making it less worst and later survive (2024, p. 107).  Some victims may consider the price of cooperating better than the price of being beaten and killed if they attempt to resist.  Sometimes, pending on the psychopath or assailant, this may work in reducing injuries, while in some cases, the perpetrator injures or kills regardless.  However, within the subjective mind of the victim, the call to fawn or not fawn is gamble that is made in the heat of the moment.

What later plays a role in prolonged and unresolved trauma for survivors are the cognitive distortions that can result from whichever action one chose.  Those who did not fight back or flee, but froze may be hard on themselves and feel they could have saved themselves if they had just acted.  A woman who did not flee a rapist, or a soldier who froze in an attack may all suffer deep remorse or regret for their actions.  Yet, their responses were not so much conscious but related to inner wiring of how they would respond in this particular situation.  The trauma was so powerful, they were forced to detach from the utter horrific nature of the event.  Equally if not more harmful cognitive distortions can emerge with those who utilize fawning as a way to survive.   They display shame and guilt and even to some extent may think they partook in it voluntarily.  A woman may feel shame in laughing or accepting drugs during a rape and even doubt her victimhood but the reality is the woman entered into a survival mechanism to limit harm to self (Compton, 2024, p. 107).  Counselors need to affirm the fears these individuals feel, listen with empathy and without judgement the reactions in the moment and help cognitively realign the experience with reality of “having to do what you had to do to survive”.  The survivor needs vindicated in the choices made to keep him/her alive in a horrific moment no person should have to endure.

Intrusions

PTSD causes many forms of intrusions on victims/survivors. Please also review AIHCP’s Trauma Informed Care Program

In addition to trauma responses and their linger effects, individuals, especially those with PTSD, suffer from intrusions.   Intrusions, flashbacks, or nightmares can be triggered by simple scents, sights, sounds, or places.  Due to the fact the horrific trauma imprinted upon the emotional part of the brain within the amygdala, the emotions and sounds of the moments became associated with the event.  Hence even a simple backfire of a car can send an Iraq or Afghanistan veteran into a flashback on a city street.  Due to the trauma, many of the normal reasoning functions of the pre-frontal cortex associated with the memory were never properly filed within the brain and processed as a healthy moment in time.  Instead, the memory is raw and unprocessed as closely tied to the emotional responses of the day of trauma.  In turn, a sight, scent, taste, or sound closely associated with that traumatic event can trigger a response that intrudes into the mind and takes the person away from the present.  Severity of these responses vary in flashbacks but some can completely cause dissociation from the present.  The person will enter into a flashback where they are no longer present.  Some individuals may lose hours of the day or merely minutes pending on severity.  Others will be haunted by unresolved nightmares that place the survivor back in the traumatic situation.  Counselors who work with trauma survivors or individuals they suspect of past trauma will be able to identify these key signs of abuse or unresolved issues.

Hyperarousal or hypervigilance

One key sign of trauma is hyperarousal or hypervigilance.  Many who suffer from trauma have a heightened sense of awareness of certain places or people.  This heightened awareness activates a survivor’s sympathetic nervous system and leaves them in a state of watching or preparing for the worst.  A retired soldier may watch various entrances of all escape routes or doorways even when at a simple dinner with his wife and children.   A rape victim may be terrified to walk by an alley.  School shooting survivors may during class time also experience issues returning to school or walking into the building.   Due to the hypervigilance and the imprinted trauma, ones arousal level is so high that the thinking part of the brain cannot differentiate between the traumatic historic event and current situations that pose no threat.  In addition, many completely seek shelter and protection from the public eye and seek isolation to cope with their states of hyperarousal.  The person hence becomes disconnected from the present, hyper-focuses on non-existent threats, and is in a state of fear or anxiety within normal situations (Compton, 2024, p.108-109).  Counselors will need to employ various emotional regulation strategies, ground techniques, exposure and EDMR therapies, or cognitive behavioral to help the person gain control of these rampant emotional memories and flashbacks.

Changed World Views and Attitudes of Survivors 

Hyperarousal and lack of emotional regulation are signs of past trauma. Please also review AIHCP’s behavioral health certifications

Due to this new altered sense, even when not hyper aroused, the past trauma can reshape and damage previous held world views (Compton, 2024. p, 2009).   Traumatic events can alter the view that the world is a safe place.  Unlike many individuals in rural areas, those who frequently experience inner city violence will definitely frame a different world view from childhood onward, especially children who were never able to experience safety and security.   For those who lived the American dream, those who suddenly become victim or witness to school shooting, or experience a violent crime suddenly may come to new realities that may make them challenge their worldview, faith, God, and moral framework how the world operates.  Some may become cynical, others hopeless, some angry and vindictive, others may look to over-protect others because they see danger everywhere.

World views and previous held ideas lead to different reactions to situations and life itself.  Some of the key points according to Compton include a lack of safety and a sense of vulnerability that did not previously exist.  In addition, Compton lists a lack of trust.  This lack of trust may be towards the power of God, or the power of local government to protect oneself. Many may feel forsaken and left to fend for oneself in this state of despair.  Also, Compton lists esteem and defectiveness that follows trauma.  Trauma survivors can exhibit negative views about themselves and doubt their worthiness to be loved after the event, or are not deserving of a good and productive post trauma life.  Others may also alter views on others and stereotype races, religions, cultures and others that are associated with the trauma itself.  Through this, the person is filled with anger, suspicion and bitterness towards other people who may share the same skin color or faith of the perpetrator.   Compton points out that other survivors may exhibit unnecessary power and control over others or situations in an attempt to prevent the trauma from occurring again.    This type of survivor may be a person who lives in constant hyperarousal and promises that what occurred will never happen again to the point of compulsion driven by anxiety.  This leads to controlling even smaller aspects of life and relationships.  Some may even feel erroneously partial responsible for the trauma and will look at any cost to control all aspects to avoid the same outcome.  Finally, Compton lists that intimacy and how future trauma survivors respond to others and relationships can be altered.  Children who experience trauma at a young age will have different attachment disorders based on trauma ranging from anxious relationship, to avoidant ones, while adults who are reshaped by trauma may experience difficulties with intimacy.  A wife who was raped may be unable to have intercourse with her husband because of the violation of the sexual act in her rape.  The movements or act may activate a flashback or cause intense emotional pain.  Some who are not in a relationship may seek isolation and avoid attachment and at the expense of genuine human connection, forfeit future relationships due to the traumatic event (2024. p. 109-113).

Long Term Mental and Physical Signs

Trauma damages the entirety of the human person.  Untreated trauma looks to numb and escape the pains through various maladaptive ways.  Whether it is isolation, avoidance, or control measures, the person still exhibits the pains of trauma.  Because of this, many associated with trauma become alcoholics or drug addicts hopes of numbing the pain and escaping the memories.  These short term tricks however only further damage the mind and body with addiction and all the legal, financial, social, mental and physical troubles associated with it.  In addition, many mentally may attempt to numb psychic pain with physical pain and self harm themselves or even idealize suicide to escape the pain.  Others may utilize sex or gambling or other unhealthy way habits. Hence, those who are associated with long term and unresolved trauma are tied to depression, anxiety, physical injuries, substance abuse, and sexually transmitted diseases (Compton, 2024, p. 116).

Long term trauma can negative effects socially, mentally, emotionally, and physically on a person.

Physically, those who deal with long term trauma even if they avoid maladaptive practices find themselves in a constant state of hyperarousal and the activation of the sympathetic nervous system.  Like chronic stress, the continual state of alert has negative effects on the body, especially the cardiovascular system.  Due to the constant stress, trauma survivors or life long victims of trauma find themselves with many  digestive diseases, migraines and sleep issues.  This leads to immune issues related to chronic inflammation throughout the body (Compton, 2024. p. 116-117).  These physical issues to lead to social issues with work, education and advancement, leaving many life long trauma survivors in perilous situations beyond their trauma itself.  This all has reflections on every aspect of their life and choices which can also affect other individuals negatively.  When those suffer from a singular and isolated trauma, as opposed to a communal trauma, many times the individual never finds affirmation, connection, or support.  These individuals, without healing, slowly rot from the vine and deteriorate.  Many fall under the rug and find themselves homeless, or imprisoned for petty crimes.  Others develop more severe mental illness and can lash out at others within the community.

Hence, it is a communal issue to identify trauma signs and help individuals find the help and aid they need to heal.  Counselors can look for these long term mental, physical, emotional and social signs of long term trauma to better help individuals find healing via trauma informed care.

Conclusion

When signs of trauma and abuse or missed initially, or permitted to fester, the wholeness and dignity of the person erodes.  Whether it is a life long series of traumas or adverse childhood experiences, or one horrible life altering event, trauma victims/survivors need help to heal.  While some individuals are resilient due to numerous and multiple subjective factors, others through no fault, fall victim to PTSD or trauma induced wounds.  These individuals if not helped are unable to cope in productive ways and can harm themselves, others, relationships or ruin their own careers.  This overflows into society and without a empathetic and compassionate approach to help these individuals, then society as a whole suffers.  Trauma Informed Care looks to identify many of the signs listed above and better help and equip individuals to find healing and healthy coping mechanisms to heal and overcome trauma.  Trauma may leave a scar but it does not need to be a destructive event in the person’s life that destroys everything the person is.  Instead, human beings can heal, create new neuropathways, find meaning in horror and create positive outcomes out of the darkness.

Please also review AIHCP’s Mental and Behavioral Health Certifications

Please also review AIHCP’s Trauma Informed Care Program, as well as its many behavioral and mental health certifications for human service workers, both clinical and pastoral, as well as healthcare professionals who seek to help and make a difference for those who have experienced trauma.

Additional Blogs

Sexual Assault.  Click here

Domestic Violence.  Click here

Crisis Intervention in Acute Mental Crisis. Click here

Crisis Intervention Assessment.  Click here

Trauma During Counseling.  Click here

Resource

Compton, L & Patterson, T. (2024) . “Skills for Safeguarding: A Guide for Preventing Abuse and Fostering Healing in the Church”. Academic

Additional Resources

“Trauma and Violence”. SAMHSA.  Access here

“Identifying Trauma” Center on Child Wellbeing and Trauma.  Access here

Aten, J. (2020). “How to Identify and Find Help for Trauma”. Psychology Today.  Access here

“Recognizing the Effects of Abuse-Related Trauma”. CAMH.  Access here

 

 

Trauma Informed Care and Re-Victimization

Posted on by Mark Moran

Abusive predators seek the most vulnerable as their prey and strike when the opportunity best presents itself.  Many targets are those who have already been targeted in the past.  The scars and emotional trauma associated with initial abuse signal opportunity for the predator to strike a new victim who has already once been injured.  Counselors in trauma need to be aware of the potential for someone who has been abused to be abused again.  This is why the work of healing is so critical.  Healing helps the person find wholeness again and find strength in everyday life to proceed in a healthy way that can better equip the victim/survivor to protect oneself from future abuse at anyone’s hands.  In this short blog, we will look at the most vulnerable for re-victimization as well as the open wounds of unhealed trauma that present opportunities for predators and abuses to inflict more trauma on past victims.

Trauma informed care can help prevent re-victimization of abuse survivors

Please also review AIHCP’s Trauma Informed Care Program, as well as its Crisis Intervention Certification and other Behavioral Health Certifications for qualified professionals seeking certification.

At Risk Populations

Naturally the marginalized, isolated, and injured populations present opportunistic targets for predators.  As a predator in nature monitors the the herd of prey, it looks for members who seem and appear physically weaker or isolated or confused or who are already injured.  Likewise, human predators and abusers look for those in society that are an easier target with less chance of fighting back physically or emotionally and as well those who mentally possess low self esteem and emotional disorders.  This protects them and lowers the chance for reprisal or being apprehended.  This is the nature of an abuser-cowardice and opportunistic.

Some populations that are natural targets for any type of abuse include children, the elderly, emotionally and mentally comprised and those with disabilities (Compton, 2024, p.124).  Hence individuals within these categories present excellent targets by the abuser not only for initial abuse but also fall into re-victimization themselves.  Counselors and safe-guarders need to be aware of these target populations and look to protect them from potential dangerous environments, especially ones with previous abuse history.

What Makes the Risk Higher for Re-victimization?

Ultimately lack of healing from the initial abuse makes someone a higher risk for re-victimization at the hands of abuser or predator.  The lack of healing injures the very soul of the person and prevents them from integrating into society.  Many enter into maladaptive coping strategies to numb the pain of the trauma or enter into unhealthy relationships due to low self esteem and again find themselves in the same patterns.

Compton points out that attachment deficits, emotion regulation disruptions and cognitive distortions play key roles in making victims susceptible to future abuse.  Compton points out that children and others who have continually experienced abuse have been stripped healthy of attachments that non-abused individuals experience with family and caregivers.  Instead of a loving and caring family that promises safety and security, abused individuals live in a world of uncertainty, terror and no safety.  This drastically alters their ability to understand normal relations, much less form future healthy attachments with other people.  Instead of finding secure bonds, many abused that never find healing, find themselves in the same situation with a different person.  The individual ultimately expects abuse as a norm (2024, p. 125-126).   Hence when approached or targeted, many abused are familiar with it.  While they may seek to escape it or fear it, they do not respond as an un-abused person.  Instead many either isolate, feel the re-traumatization, and become unwilling victims not understanding why or how to escape.

Helping stop re-victimization of at risk populations is a key component of trauma informed care. Please also review AIHCP’s Behavioral Health Certifications

Compton also refers to emotional regulation disruptions.  Like anyone with PTSD or trauma, unresolved trauma resides in the subconscious.  It remains trapped in the emotional part of the brain, not properly filed within the intellectual part.  The trauma is dis-fragmented and the horrible nature of the trauma continues to haunt a person.  Hence when a person experiences a similar sound, or scent, or visual of the past trauma, the body responds emotionally without rationale into a fight, flight or freeze mode.  This is a common state of hyperarousal that many with PTSD or trauma experience.  The long term defensive mechanisms for this unhealed trauma results in isolation from other people, as well as numbing through alcohol or other drugs, as well as lashing out at others, Abusers target those who are isolated, friendless, or who are intoxicated or in need of drugs to numb their pain (2024, p. 127-128).   in the mind of an abuser, an isolated individual has no-one for support and a drug user is far from reliable as a witness.

Finally, cognitive distortions can persist in the unhealed victim.  Without counseling and cognitive therapies to correct incorrect perceptions of self, the abused develops an poor image of self and the value of one’s body.   The very design of sexuality and its purpose can also be distorted. Victims reflect low self esteem, misuse of sex as a way to find instant gratification, or allow one’s body to be used by others.  This can result in how a victim interacts with others, dresses, or expects to be touched or touches others (Compton, 2024, p. 128-129).   These cognitive distortions, views of one’s body, or the misinformed nature of sex, open many unhealed victims to new abusers who can use these distortions to their advantage in luring the victim back into abuse.

Why Not Find Help?

It is easy as non-traumatized individuals to ask this question but if someone is injured through abuse or trauma, the whole self is injured.  Until the whole self again finds healing, purpose and meaning and the issues of emotional, cognitive and bonds are corrected, then many never seek help or even report the initial abuse.  In addition, those who seek help may feel intimidated, labeled, judged, or felt no-one will believe them.

Some may feel embarrassed over the abuse.  During fight, flight or freeze, survivors make a choice in how to respond to the violence.  Some individuals may fight, others may try to escape, or others my freeze in utter fear.  We see this constantly in horror movies.  As we shout at the television screen, for the person to fight back or run, we see some literally freeze.  Maybe subconsciously an individual feels if they have a better chance of not fighting back and allowing the abuse to occur in hopes of survival as opposed to being kills in an attempted act of self defense.  It is very hard to understand why some individuals fight, flight or freeze, but after traumatic events, the brain thinks back.  There is survival guilt for some in war or shootings where the individual re-analyzes their reactions.  This can lead to shame, or guilt or regret.  Some in abuse, may feel they should have screamed, or fought back, while others lament the fact, that despite the abuse, in some cases, of sex, part of the physical engagement was pleasurable.  This is especially true in the case of men who find themselves raped by women abusers.  Others who are raped or molested may feel like a “whore” or if a man is assaulted by a man, feel as if their sexuality is now questioned and feel ashamed about being labeled a sexuality that they are not (Compton, 2024, p. 130-131).

Others may feel no-one will believe them and in some cases, authorities do not always believe.  Parents may doubt a story of their child about a pastor or coach, or a church member may dismiss a report about a priest, or a police detective may question the details of an abuse story, but when help is not given, re-victimization can occur.  One thing to remember, victims of severe trauma have fragmented memories.  The brain is protecting the person from the trauma by fogging many of the details.  Since the trauma is not properly filed and stored in the intellectual pre-frontal cortex of the brain, the emotional centers of the brain collect the trauma and revisit it through affective disturbances that involve similar sounds, sights, or scents.  A similar cologne of an abuser can send a victim into a flash back of the horrible abuse, or a the backfire of a car can send a military veteran back to a war scene.   Hence triggers play a key role, as well as intrusive memories, in taking the victim back to the initial trauma, while in regular conscious states, the victim may not recount completely every detail regarding the abuse.  The details haunt, but the general story remains the same.  This type of lack of detail can sometimes make others doubt a survivor/victim, but a trained professional should see the overwhelming evidence of trauma induced PTSD that reflects far greater evidence of abuse than mere details (Compton, 2024, p. 131-132)

When reporting never occurs, or when authorities do not believe victims, re-victimization usually occurs later in life.  It is hence important to  prevent future re-victimization to believe the abused.   Counselors, pastors, and even friends need to believe and encourage disclosure and when legally required report the incidents to protect the victim.  As a safeguarder and protector, one has the unique opportunity to help reconnect to a injured person and help them again find wholeness, meaning and justice (Compton, 2024, p. 133).

Conclusion

Please also review AIHCP’s Trauma Informed Care Program as well as its Behavioral Health Certifications

It is truly sad that anyone is a victim of any type of abuse in this world.  It is especially horrific that individuals who find no healing continue to find themselves in a cycle of abuse at the hands of predators and abusers.  It is important for behavioral healthcare and health providers, as well as pastoral caregivers, families and friends to recognize the signs the abuse, as well as to understand those who are potential victims for possible future abuse.  This involves utilization of trauma informed care practices that encourage disclosure through safe environments, as well as transparency, empathy, trust, and the utilization of therapeutic skills to help the person again find healing and meaning.

Please also review AIHCP’s Trauma Informed Care Program as well as its many Behavioral Health Certifications

Additional Blogs

Authority and Abuse- Click here

Sexual Assault and Abuse- Click here

Resource

Compton, L & Patterson, T (2024). “Skills for Safeguarding: A Guide to Preventing Abuse and Fostering Healing in the Church”.  Academic

Additional Resources

Marie, S. (2024). “Abuse Survivors Can Be Revictimized — Here’s What You Should Know”. Healthline.  Access here

Gillette, H. (2022). “Can Family Members Revictimize Sexual Abuse Survivors?”. PsychCentral.  Access here

Patrick, W. (2022), “Why Some Sexual Assault Victims Are Revictimized”.  Psychology Today.  Access here

Pittenger, S. et al. (2019). “Predicting Sexual Revictimization in Childhood and Adolescence: A Longitudinal Examination Using Ecological Systems Theory”.

Child Maltreat . Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2019 May 1.  PubMed.  Access here

 

 

 

 

 

Behavioral Health Certifications: Identifying Fake People Video Blog

Posted on by Mark Moran

Fake people can cause damage professionally, financially, and socially.  It is important as a social skill to protect oneself from deceptive individuals and form the proper boundaries to secure oneself against a fake and deceptive person.  Please also review AIHCP’s Behavioral Health Certifications and see if they meet your academic and professional goals.

Trauma Informed Care: Dynamics of Abuse and Power

Posted on by Mark Moran

Those who suffer abuse can sometimes fall through the cracks of society.  Individuals, organizations, churches, establishments, or others can indirectly or directly be the cause of ignoring abuse and allowing to continue due to internal false notions, or external fears.  Those in pastoral care, healthcare or mental health must be the final line of defense in identifying abuse.  This may result in identifying initial abuse simply through a medical checkup, or a casual statement to the school counselor, or concerned friend, but sometimes, abuse is discovered years and years later in counseling.  This is why it is so critical to make trauma informed care such a critical aspect of all counseling.  So many issues emerge in life that are connected to unresolved trauma and it is so important for professionals report it as well as if within the scope of one’s practice to treat it.   Counselors and pastors need to see themselves as guardians and watchers for abuse and trauma in all individuals.

Trauma Informed Care experts know how to identify trauma and abuse and how to help others overcome it. Please also review AIHCP’s Behavioral Health Certifications

In this article, we will shortly look at the nature of abuse and the dynamics of power and its role in covering abuse.

Please also review AIHCP’s Mental and Behavioral Health programs in Trauma Informed Care, Grief Counseling, and Crisis Counseling.

Safeguarding and Abuse

Compton and Patterson refer to individuals who protect the innocent from abuse as safeguarders (2024, p. 1).   Anyone who wishes to promote a safe environment can be a safeguarder.  Whether a observant friend, or those in pastoral ministry, or those within healthcare or mental health agencies.  Everyone is called to look out for others whether the person is abused by a stranger, or a friend, or family, or within a religious institution or organization or agency.    Compton and Patterson encourage others to be diligent to identify abuse by looking for signs of abuse or possible risks of for potential abuse.   They emphasize in addition to looking to also listen to victims with empathy and non-judgmental attitudes that provide a safe place for them to speak.  In addition to listening, safeguarding requires equipping the victim/individual/survivor with the tools to heal, build new relationships and find the necessary resources to move forward.  Finally, Compton and Patterson emphasize the duty to speak out against abuse, report it and advocate for transparency within organizations that look to hide abuse (2024, p. 2).

Abuse itself is not always physical or sexual in nature, but abuse can also be verbal and emotional and in some cases, these minor forms of abuse can elevate to physical.  While physical abuse is constrained to slapping, punching, strangling, burning or restraining and sexual to improper touches, exposure, unconsented recording, or rape itself, verbal and emotional abuse takes far more subtle forms.  Emotional and verbal abuse can include guilt tripping, extreme jealousy, constant monitoring, name calling, insulting, sarcasm, threats, ghosting, avoidance and silent treatments (Compton & Patterson, 2024, p. 14).   Spiritual abuse at the hand of a partner or even religious leader is common to control and manipulate.  Compton and Patterson point out that misuse of scripture can lead to manipulation, especially to donate, or give up possessions, as well as to utilize absolute authority in other’s daily lives.  When a religious leader claims undisputed authority from God without checks or balances, that leader is able to order submission to any decisions or actions he or she takes.  Ultimately, the person is made to think that their service to the church or religious figure oversteps every other duty in life because the person’s salvation depends upon it (2024, p. 17).

The Power of Authority

Relationships that pend on authority and power of one over another are not partnerships but unequal relationships.  When a manager, president, coach, pastor, or priest teaches, speaks, or instructs, there is a sense of power and influence over another (Compton and Patterson, 2024, p. 28).  This is not necessarily a structure of evil, but an important part of organization and society, but the inner dynamics of these powers of one over another can lead to evil actions when misused.  Rinaldi states, “Abuse flourishes within a system that emphasizes absolute power of leaders, encourages unflinching submission and obedience of followers and avoids meaningful accountability (Compton and Patterson, 2024, p. 26).   Authority can easily be corrupted.  Authority as a relationship to another carries a huge responsibility.   A coach’s responsibility via his/her authority to bring out the best of his/her players, to train them, and teach them and prepare them for games.  When this responsibility deviates from these norms, then his/her power is misused and tempted to abuse.  Additionally, due to the existence of this relationship, it can easily blur lines and lead to potential misuse of it.  Compton and Patterson point out that any leader, pastor, or manager needs to clearly understand the limits and extent of their power, as well as the consequences of misusing that power and the effects of vulnerable individuals under them within this relationship (2024, p. 29).

Many misuse authority. Counselors can help individuals overcome the manipulation.

Those who misuse authority purposely exploit those under their control.  To confuse, justify and promote compliance, spiritual leaders will utilize spiritual texts, managers will utilize company goals and professional needs, coaches will use team first mottos or personal goals as ways to contort and confuse the victim.  This leads to a grooming phase where those in authority utilize their power to attract the victim outside of the arena of their relationship into other situations.  Utilizing scripture, or company goals, or team needs, the perpetrator will work on altering the victim’s conscience and to make them question his/her values.  Abusers with authority to cover their crime will look to normalize the abnormal and justify it.  For instance, a coach may tell a player that this behavior in the locker room is normal and goes on in all locker rooms across the country.  The victim who may be scared to question, or be brainwashed and manipulated into compliance may be in awe of the person, or afraid to lose a job, or a spot on the team.  This leads to a cycle of abuse (Compton and Patterson, 2024, p. 31-33).  The authority misused also leads to threats later.  The abuser who fears accountability or prosecution will use his/her authority to terrify the abused into silence.  A priest may tell a young child that no-one will believe them or that if they say anything, they will go to Hell.  A politician may tell an intern, that if anything is mentioned, the person will never work in politics again.  This disgusting misuse of power and abuse unfortunately happens everyday and it up to those in behavioral health, healthcare and pastoral professionals to uproot it and expose it to the light.  This is an important aspect of trauma informed care!

The Dynamics of Authority and Coverup

It is important to realize that many individuals can become complicit in abuse.  Some may be more direct, while others are more indirect, but the complicity still remains.  Sometimes complicity at even more remote levels protect and shield the most dangerous abuses and keep victims trapped under the spell of dominance.   Abusers play a part in abuse by commanding or counseling or consenting to or flattering the perpetrator.  They can directly cause it or even participate within it.  Others who may not abuse or condone it even play a role in allowing abuse to exist by covering it up, remaining silent, preventing steps to expose, or not openly denouncing it.  These individuals in many ways are as dangerous as the abusers.  While they may not abuse or have a mental illness to abuse, they care more about image or position or finance than another human being in trauma.  Their crimes are an equal problem and a reason why so many institutional abuses continue within many organizations (2024, p. 12-14).   Many organizations, churches, schools, or agencies utilize shame, silence, or loyalty above truth.   Those who work for schools, universities, sporting teams, church positions, or organizational positions feel the pressure to protect the image of who they associate with, as well as who pays them.  In addition, many within cult-like churches will look for the greater good in promoting their silence, or feel as if their salvation is threatened if they question someone of religious authority.  This can lead to shame as well to encourage silence and foster the environment for abuse.

Many individuals are pushed into complicity via threats or loss of status when they witness abuse. Individuals must expose the crime at all costs

Compton and Patterson list some key concepts that lead one to complicity and silence.  Unity over truth leads those within the organizational structure to silence or dismiss those who call out questionable statements, or patterns or procedures.  In this case, the mission of the church or organization overplays the mission to protect individuals.  This leads to the greater good motif as well as the needs of the many over the need of the one as a way to justify a crime of abuse.  In addition, Compton and Patterson point out that authority over truth leads to the submission of women and children to do without question.  If a coach or pastor does something morally questionable, one is told or taught to dismiss it because there is a higher reason for the crime. This leads to diluting the idea that everyone sins or no-one is perfect when comparing it to an actual crime, and then proceeding to forgive the crime as if a minor issue.  Others within the organization or church who witness it, then look for reasons to justify the crime of their coach, hero, or pastor.   This leads to silence and also internal coverup over an actual crime under the guise of a simple sin that no-one needs to know about and that there must be “good reason” for.  In abusive church settings, the congregants are told not to gossip about a potential crime and are pushed to trust their leaders and to also only count on scripture as a source of good counsel over professional resources that would immediately report a crime (2024, p.23)

Trauma informed care probes for these signs of abuse and helps expose it.

Exposing and Preventing Abusive Systems

First, if you feel as a leader in whatever capacity you are over abusing your power and authority beyond its scope and environment, then reel it in and hold oneself accountable.  If outside the office, monitor those under your care and limit relationships that are not ethical.  Second, if you witness abuse, report it. Do not justify someone’s behavior, normalize it, or belittle a crime.

On a larger scale, trauma informed specialists, mental health and healthcare professionals must become advocates and face organizations that look to hide abuse.  This is not only legal and the law but also ethical and moral.  Sometimes it may seem whistle blowing is hurting oneself but character and maintaining one’s integrity is far greater than any position.  Whistle blowing on a favorite university program may hurt the program, or reporting one’s church may feel as if you endangered the holiness of it, but we need to separate the difference between a crooked and sick individual and our favorite team or church we attend.  Instead, we should be enraged that someone would abuse while wearing a collar within our faith, or if a coach would misuse the honor of coaching our favorite team to abuse others or permit abuse under his/her watch.  As mentioned earlier, we must be safeguarders and this must be vocational.   We are the reformers of our favorite institutions when we do report.  We are preserving the future of those institutions by reforming it and removing the scum that has invaded it via reporting it.  This is the mindset of a reporter.  Criminals must be exposed and removed from society, especially those who misuse power, exploit the vulnerable and emotionally and physically abuse others.

It is important to expose those who hurt the most vulnerable. Please also review AIHCP’s Mental and Behavioral Health programs

Politicians, pastors/priests/bishops, managers/CEOs, and coaches are not above the institution they are in or the people they serve or manage.  Their must be complete zero tolerance and complete transparency.  The reforms of the Catholic Church, while slow and painful, have produced fruits with more transparency that include not only reporting but also removing the alleged perpetrator with real life consequences.  Whether a company, church or university there must clear and unforgiving policies and procedures that let all those who hold authority of the dire consequences that will follow if one is guilty of misuse of power and abuse.  This transparency will not taint the view of the organization but actually prove that it cares about the vulnerable and individual over crime.  It takes courageous persons in dark times to stand up.  Victims are the most courageous by pushing forward and telling their story.  Those who report and those who seek to reform institutions are also courageous risking position, status and rejection.  Stopping abuse is a community and team effort!

Conclusion

Trauma Informed Care is always looking for signs of past trauma or abuse that may stem across the life span.  It looks to expose and challenge any abuser or institution that has committed the crime of abuse or misused authority.  As safeguarders, mental health as well as pastoral caregivers must not only help those with trauma and abuse but also be courageous enough to be whistle blowers and advocates for the abused, forcing those who misuse authority to face justice.

Please also review AIHCP’s Mental Health and Behavioral Health Certifications.  These programs include Crisis Intervention, Grief Counseling as well as Trauma Informed Care!

Additional Blog

What is Trauma Informed Care? Click here

Resource

Compton, L & Patterson, T. (2024). “Skills for Safeguarding: A Guide to Preventing Abuse and Fostering Healing in the Church”. Intervarsity Press.

Additional Resources

“Reporting Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect: A Guide for Action” Department of Health and Human Services.  Access here

“The Psychology of Denial: How Abusers Manipulate, Deflect, and Deceive”. Carolyn Devers.  Access here

“Abuse of power: The psychology of abusive relationships” Estaban, P. (2023). In Focus.  Access here

Raypole, C. (2025). “How to Recognize the Signs of Emotional Abuse”.  Healthline. Access here

Brenner. A. (2020). “10 Red Flag Warning Signs of Abuse”.  Psychology Today.  Access here