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PSYC71-502: Trauma Informed Approaches to Client Care

Description

This subject provides advanced intervention training in the assessment, diagnosis, classification and treatment of trauma disorders. Trauma-informed care shifts the focus from “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?”.  This subject teaches principles of a Trauma-Informed Approach guided by research, and shows how adopting trauma-informed practices can potentially improve client engagement, treatment adherence, and health outcomes, as well as provider and staff wellness. It also addresses tailored rather than one-size-fits-all approaches, and service delivery in communities at large to achieve system-wide change. You will critically examine the clinical, behavioural, and psychometric assessment of these problems, and receive formal academic training in empirically validated psychological interventions for trauma. On successful completion of this subject, you will have learnt how to reliably screen, diagnose and develop trauma-informed case formulations that guide evidence-based treatments.

Subject details

Type: Postgraduate Subject
Code: PSYC71-502
EFTSL: 0.125
Faculty: Faculty of Society and Design
Semesters offered:
  • May 2026 [Non-Standard Offering]
Credit: 10
Study areas:
  • Psychology, Criminology, and Social Sciences
Subject fees:
  • Commencing in 2025: $5,880.00
  • Commencing in 2026: $6,000.00
  • Commencing in 2027: $6,210.00
  • Commencing in 2025: $6,730.00
  • Commencing in 2026: $7,040.00
  • Commencing in 2027: $7,360.00

Learning outcomes

  1. Select phase-based trauma interventions appropriate to a client’s stage of safety, processing or integration.
  2. Design a trauma-informed approach to service delivery for a specified community, including the system-level collaboration required.
  3. Critically evaluate the empirical evidence supporting trauma-focused interventions.
  4. Apply culturally responsive and culturally safe approaches to trauma work with First Nations, refugee and other marginalised client groups.
  5. Formulate a trauma-informed case conceptualisation that accounts for the client’s trauma history, cultural identity and community context.
  6. Apply safety, stabilisation and pre-therapy processing skills in a simulated clinical interaction with a client who has a trauma history.

Enrolment requirements

Requisites:

Pre-requisites:

Co-requisites:

There are no co-requisites

Assumed knowledge:

Assumed knowledge is the minimum level of knowledge of a subject area that students are assumed to have acquired through previous study. It is the responsibility of students to ensure they meet the assumed knowledge expectations of the subject. Students who do not possess this prior knowledge are strongly recommended against enrolling and do so at their own risk. No concessions will be made for students’ lack of prior knowledge.

Restrictions: This subject is not available to
  • Study Abroad Students

This subject is not available as a general elective. To be eligible for enrolment, the subject must be specified in the students’ program structure.

Subject dates

May 2026
Non-Standard Offering
Enrolment opens: 22/03/2026
Semester start: 18/05/2026
Subject start: 18/05/2026
Last enrolment: 18/05/2026
Teaching census: 16/06/2026
Withdraw - Financial: 17/06/2026
Withdraw - Academic: 05/07/2026
Non-Standard Offering
Enrolment opens: 22/03/2026
Semester start: 18/05/2026
Subject start: 18/05/2026
Last enrolment: 18/05/2026
Teaching census: 16/06/2026
Withdraw - Financial: 17/06/2026
Withdraw - Academic: 05/07/2026