ABSTRACT
This chapter highlights the importance of working relationally with clients who have experienced a traumatic event or events. It focuses on evidence-based therapies used by counselling psychologists in the treatment of trauma and complex trauma, such as eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing and trauma-focused approaches. It points readers to psychometric and outcome measures that counselling psychologists use during the assessment and formulation process. The chapter outlines the key skills counselling psychologists will need, as well as specific competencies required to work relationally with this client group. It looks at suggested ‘beyond the therapy room’ approaches and how counselling psychologists can incorporate body work into their therapy sessions. The variety of the role, the opportunities it presents and the challenges that come with working with this client group are discussed. Focus is placed on the importance of self-care in relation to vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue.
