Udemy
Turn what you know into an opportunity and reach millions around the world.
Learn More
Your cart is empty.
Keep shopping
Trauma-Informed Care: See the Person, Not the Problem
Rating: 4.7 out of 5(2,030 ratings)
5,748 students

Trauma-Informed Care: See the Person, Not the Problem

Learn to see the real story behind behavior, and respond with the compassion that helps people heal.
Created byDonn Kropp
Last updated 10/2026
English
English [Auto],

What you'll learn

  • Define trauma
  • Recognize various types of trauma
  • Understand trauma’s impact on mental and physical health
  • Understand the Adverse Child Experiences (ACE) Study
  • Describe and understand principles & tenets of Trauma-Informed Care
  • Recognize the importance of responding to trauma disclosures appropriately
  • Understand the importance of managing vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue

Course content

7 sections • 15 lectures • 2h 3m total length
  • Introduction8:41

    Trauma is difficult to understand. It can’t be viewed narrowly but must be understood broadly and take into account biological, psychological, interpersonal, community, and societal factors. In this lecture, we’ll explore several definitions and key concepts of trauma.

  • Objectives1:30

    Emotional and psychological trauma isn’t as cut and dry as we once thought. In this lecture, we will highlight the objectives for this course.

Requirements

  • This course is for anyone who wants to understand how trauma can influence behavior, health, communication, and relationships—and how to better support people affected by it. It is especially relevant for healthcare professionals, social workers, counselors, case managers, and mental health professionals, as well as educators, coaches, caregivers, and first responders. Service-industry professionals who interact with the public will also find it useful, along with managers, supervisors, and organizational leaders who want to create safer, more supportive environments. Family members, friends, and community members are welcome, too. You don’t need a professional role to make a meaningful difference in someone’s life. No professional background is required. The course is suitable for both professionals and members of the general public.

Description

Have you ever wondered why someone reacted the way they did — and it just didn't seem to fit the situation?

Trauma doesn't always look like what we expect. It can hide behind anger, silence, people-pleasing, or a "that's fine, I'm fine" that isn't fine at all. And when we don't understand what we're looking at, it's easy to ask the wrong question: "What is wrong with this person?" — instead of the one that actually opens the door to healing: "What might have happened to this person?"

That single shift in perspective is what this course is built around.

I'm a registered nurse with more than 20 years in emergency and trauma care, and in that time I watched people who were already hurting get hurt again — not by bad people, but by good people who simply didn't understand trauma. This course is what I wish every nurse, teacher, parent, manager, and friend had been taught a long time ago.

In this course, you'll learn how to:

  • Recognize what trauma actually is, and the many forms it can take

  • Understand how trauma reshapes the brain, body, and stress response — sometimes for years afterward

  • Understand the landmark ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) Study, and why it changed how we think about health

  • Apply the core principles of trauma-informed care in everyday interactions

  • Recognize what retraumatization looks like — and how to avoid causing it, even by accident

  • Know what to say (and what never to say) when someone trusts you with their story

  • Protect your own heart: recognize compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma before they take over

This course is for you if you're:

  • A parent, caregiver, or family member trying to understand someone you love

  • A nurse, social worker, teacher, first responder, or service professional who works with people every day

  • Someone who has experienced trauma yourself and wants to understand your own story more clearly

  • Anyone who wants to become a safer, more compassionate presence in someone else's life

No clinical background is required — just an open mind and a willingness to see people differently. Healthcare professionals can also apply the concepts here toward continuing education requirements.

Join over 5,600 students (4.7★ average rating) who've taken this course and come away seeing the people in their lives — and themselves — with new understanding.

Who this course is for:

  • Who this course is for This course is for anyone who wants to better understand trauma and support people affected by it, including: Healthcare professionals, including nurses, physicians, therapists, and support staff Social workers, counselors, case managers, and mental health professionals Educators, coaches, caregivers, and first responders Service-industry professionals who regularly interact with the public Managers, supervisors, and organizational leaders who want to create safer, more supportive environments Family members, friends, and community members who want to support loved ones affected by trauma Anyone interested in how trauma can influence behavior, health, communication, and relationships No professional background is required. The course is suitable for professionals and members of the general public.