“The Background You Create Is Really Part of the Experience”: Exploring the Practices of Trauma-Informed Therapy in Virtual Space,a Qualitative Study

Abstract

Introduced by Harris and Fallot in 2001, trauma-informed care (TIC) is a call to shift culture and protocols within the human services to acknowledge trauma’s impact and sequelae. The COVID-19 pandemic saw simultaneous escalation of interest in TIC and uptake of virtual mental health care, yet little research documents how to translate TIC principles into digital or remote therapy. This qualitative study used a template analysis approach to explore how 29 social workers who identify themselves as trauma-informed practitioners adapt components of the TIC model to practice in a virtual environment. We report specific strategies used by participants, identifying five themes—accessibility, visual presentation, amplified communication, altered relational dynamics, and increased potential for client choice—that emerged across these practices.