Supporting Culturally Safe Responses to Trauma

Adelaide PHN recently supported the delivery of a workshop for primary healthcare professionals, exploring the profound impact of trauma on the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Led by Narrative Therapist Tamara Young, the session focused on ways to recognise and respond to the effects of trauma with cultural sensitivity. Participants learned practical, trauma-informed strategies, enabling the creation of safe and supportive environments that promote recovery for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Tamara is an Aboriginal Narrative Therapist, qualified Trainer and Assessor, and the Founder and Director of Wonky Lines Counselling, a profit-for-purpose social enterprise on Kaurna Country dedicated to healing, cultural safety and community wellbeing.

Through the workshop, attendees built their understanding of trauma and its connection to colonisation and the ongoing impacts experienced by Aboriginal communities.

It exaimed the different forms of trauma impacting Aboriginal communities, including intergenerational and systemic trauma and provided insights into how trauma can present emotionally, physically and psychologically.

The session also explored trauma-informed approaches to understanding the behaviours in young Aboriginal people.