Bridging the Gap Between Counselor Education and Trauma Treatment in Practice: A Phenomenology of Trauma-Specialized Counselors

Trauma impacts the life experiences of a sizable portion of the population. Given that so many clients bring trauma into counseling, even when not the presenting issue, knowledge of trauma’s impact and proficiency with trauma treatment are essential topics in counselor education. This study gave voice to counselors in the field to share what they have found effective from working with clients with trauma. The researcher used a phenomenological approach and interviewed six self-identified trauma-specialized counselors who have practiced for five years or longer. The data was explicated, and four major themes were identified. The first theme was Inadequate Training: specifically, the gap between textbook knowledge and effective practice in the field. Second was the Complex Nature of Trauma in Practice. The third theme was the Physical Manifestations of Trauma. And the final theme that emerged was the importance of the Therapeutic Relationship and Counselor Role. A discussion of these themes with comparison to current literature inform implications for counselor educators, supervisors, and counselors in the field. Implications are offered to help bridge the gap between counselor education and trauma treatment in the field. These implications distil and distribute experiential knowledge of effective trauma counseling and help counselor educators expose students to field-based knowledge and best practices.