MWA Trauma Informed Pedagogy and Practice

Graphic illustrating trauma-informed pedagogy, featuring icons representing empathy, support, education, communication, and wellbeing on a blue background

Trauma-Informed Pedagogy and Practice in Higher Education Settings

Trauma-informed practice approaches provide a framework to guide interactions with individuals affected by trauma and may be described as ‘A programme, organisation, or system that is trauma-informed realises the widespread impact of trauma and understands potential paths for recovery; recognises the signs and symptoms of trauma in service users and clients, families, staff, and others involved with the system; and responds by fully integrating knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, and practices, and seeks to actively resist re-traumatisation.’

Trauma-informed practice acknowledges the commonplace nature of traumatic experiences and their impacts on individuals and communities. It aims to ensure that these experiences and the needs of service-users are accommodated in individual and organisational practices, to create safe, accessible environments, to prevent retraumatisation and promote inclusion for all students and staff. Trauma-informed pedagogies are derived from trauma-informed practice and encourage educators to recognise trauma and its prevalence, and respond by using strategies to improve learning and wellbeing for students exposed to trauma. Benefits of this practice include improved wellbeing and inclusion, and improved knowledge and skills to manage the needs of affected students.

Trauma-informed practice has been widely implemented in school settings, Trauma-informed practice and pedagogy are becoming more widely recognised and established in UK higher education settings as a means to support learner and staff wellbeing, and to promote inclusion and accessibility. However, there is a notable lack of approaches and empirical evidence addressing trauma-informed pedagogy in higher education settings.

This project aims to build trauma-informed practice in university settings. Student and staff at Monash University and the University of Warwick are working together to create resources that can be used to guide trauma-informed practice in universities. Click on the image below to view our project model, or alternatively, download the model as a PowerPoint file.

Flowchart showing four stages of a trauma-informed higher education project: (1) scoping review, (2) stakeholder advisory setup, (3) co-design workshops with students and staff, and (4) refinement and finalisation of resources such as infographics, videos, and reports. Workshops held at Monash University and University of Warwick.

Project Model

Get Involved

We are inviting Warwick students and staff in all roles to participate in focus groups and co-design workshops to inform development of trauma-informed practice in higher education. Trauma-informed practice acknowledges the commonplace nature of traumatic experiences and their impacts on individuals and communities.

It aims to ensure that these experiences are accommodated in individual and organisational practices, to create safe, engaging, and collaborative learning environments and promote inclusion for all students and staff. Please complete the participation form to register your interest.

Team Members

Dr Helen Nolan, Associate Professor, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick
Vicky Panossian, PhD Candidate, Department of Sociology, University of Warwick
Richard Clay, Senior Academic Technologist, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick
Dr Charlotte Jones, Associate Professor, Centre for Lifelong Learning, University of Warwick

Advisory Board

This project is supported by a Stakeholder Advisory Board composed of staff and students who have expressed a strong interest in the project's themes. The Board serves in an advisory capacity, contributing valuable insights and guidance. Our University of Warwick advisory team includes:

Prof. Anastasia Chamberlen, Professor, Sociology Department
Prof. Hannah Jones, Professor, Sociology Department
Helen Knee, Director Conduct and Resolution
Samantha Tarren, Head of Counselling and Psychotherapy Services, Wellbeing and Student Support
Prof. Vanessa Munro, Professor, Warwick Law School

Contact

For further information, or should you have any questions or concerns, please contact:

Project lead:
Dr Helen Nolan
h.nolan@warwick.ac.uk
Project assistant:
Vicky Panossian
vicky.panossian@warwick.ac.uk

Key Definitions

For this project, we adopt the definitions shown here.

Trauma-informed practice is an approach to practice and service design and delivery which is grounded in the understanding that trauma exposure can impact an individual’s development and experiences in wide-ranging settings. Trauma-informed practice recognises these impacts and aims to reduce risks of further harm or retraumatisation by removing barriers to engagement.

Trauma-informed pedagogy is an approach to teaching and learning that acknowledges the presence and impact of trauma in students’ lives and enables educators to appreciate that trauma exposure among students may impair self-regulated learning and result in academic challenges (Bitanihirwe and Imad 2023).

Trauma-informed pedagogy or practice do not require specialist trauma skills or replace specialist trauma therapy, where this is indicated. Being trauma-informed doesn’t require omission or avoidance of challenging or distressing content but instead aims to remove barriers to engagement and promote greater safety.

Trauma-informed practice and pedagogy have important links to inclusion and social justice.

Our Resources

Here you can find a sample of our existing resources to support trauma-informed practice in education and research

Trauma-Informed Approaches: Educator GuidanceLink opens in a new window : This provides information regarding trauma, trauma-informed approaches, and practical strategies for applying trauma-informed approaches in teaching and learning.

Managing classroom tension and conflictLink opens in a new window :This provides information regarding trauma, trauma-informed approaches, and practical strategies for applying trauma-informed approaches and de-escalation of conflict in teaching and learning.

Lessons on applying a trauma-informed research approach in health professions education scholarship (Nolan 2025) : This paper discusses the application of trauma-informed principles and approaches, and practical strategies for doing so in undertaking research. This paper draws upon evidence and practise from a range of disciplinary contexts that can be applied in various research disciplines and settings.