Introduction to Trauma-Informed Counselor Education and Supervision (TICES) Framework

Many counselors in training may be susceptible to traumatization and/or retraumatization during their training process due to the elevated prevalence of their past trauma experience and the nature of their professional work involving exposure to trauma narratives in coursework and during fieldwork. Recognizing the growing need for a trauma-informed approach in training future helping professionals, including counselors-in-training, we present an overview of a framework called the Trauma-Informed Counselor Education and Supervision (TI-CES). This framework draws on assumptions and principles from trauma-informed care (TIC). Also, we address the applications of four key assumptions (i.e., Realize, Recognize, Respond, and Resist retraumatization) and six principles (i.e., Safety; Trustworthiness and transparency; Peer support; Collaboration and mutuality; Empowerment, voice, and choice; and Cultural, historical, and gender issues) of the TIC. These assumptions and principles are specifically tailored to address the unique challenges and needs of counselor education and supervision. In addition, we offer stepwise key recommendations to prevent (re) traumatization and mitigate the impacts of trauma exposure at three critical levels: throughout the program admission, during the program, and after exposure to traumatic components of training. By following the recommendations, counselor educators and supervisors can create a supportive and safe environment that fosters the well-being of counselors-in-training while equipping them to respond effectively to potentially traumatizing components in their training.