ABSTRACT
This chapter is an introduction to the ways in which cases will be formatted and how the case material will be organized. I have done trauma-informed therapy and supervision since getting my doctoral degree in 1985, so the cases were all treated within that time frame. I have worked in outpatient and residential settings, so I have selected cases from each type of setting. Some of the cases will be fairly complete case studies, ones in which the bulk of the treatment included metaphor, stories, art and play. The most relevant details and pertinent details of each case will be shared. Other cases will not be “complete” case studies, but the “snippets” from the cases will illustrate the power of a particular metaphor, technique or therapeutic story for a specific client. As I reviewed my case files and documentation, I selected cases with a variety of responses to recent or past traumatic events. Each case will be organized using more or less the following structure: 1. Case Information and Background; 2. The Problems (and reactions to the problems); 3. The Conceptualization (including family dynamics); 4. Interventions and the Trauma Narrative; 5. The Shift (s); and 6. The Progress and Outcomes. The reason for organizing cases in this way is to provide an opportunity for graduate students and therapists to consider how client history and current symptoms are connected, and how to plan and carry out treatment within a conceptual framework. When planning treatment, interventions are not a shot in the dark, rather they are a logical choice given what we know about the client and a good fit for that particular client. I recognize that during a course of treatment, there may be a number of problems, interventions and shifts, but the overall organization allows for a structured approach to the cases. For each case selected, one or more play, drawing or story activities helped “shift” client’s perceptions and reactions to their trauma.
