ABSTRACT
In recent years, higher education has become increasingly aware of and attentive to the reality that many postsecondary students have experienced trauma. Yet, relatively little attention has been placed on how trauma impacts graduate students, including few explorations in the literature about how interactions between faculty and graduate students can create conditions for recuperation or further harm for students who have experienced trauma in their lives. This chapter makes clear the imperative of considering quality student-faculty interactions through the lens of trauma-informed practice. Specifically, this chapter will explain the impacts of trauma on graduate student success and well-being, make the case for why trauma-informed practice needs to be considered a key component of high-quality student-faculty interactions, and offer tangible examples for faculty to implement in their interactions with graduate students who may be impacted by traumatic experiences.
