Trauma-Informed Education

As future healthcare providers, we must be prepared to respect and respond to the life experiences of our patients, including disturbing or traumatic experiences. Courses in this curriculum may contain lectures, discussions, and media related to these experiences. It can be challenging, however, when course content triggers distressing and unresolved events from our own lives. We support you in taking responsibility for your emotional and psychological well-being. As part of that process, we encourage you to prepare yourself emotionally for this content and to seek appropriate outside support such as counseling and connection with Student Care and Outreach.

Our classrooms are intended to provide an open space for vulnerability and for the sensitive and respectful exchange of ideas. The insights and experiences each of you brings to classroom discussions can be powerful and transformative for your peers. If, however, you are not in a place on your journey to share your experiences, it is your choice not to participate in the discussion. If you believe that engaging in this content will be traumatizing, you are always free to leave the classroom. You are responsible for any material that you miss, so please arrange to get notes from another student or see your instructor individually.