Space To Breathe Therapy

Safety in Trauma Informed Care

Understanding physical, emotional, relational and psychological safety

Safety is one of the central principles of trauma-informed practice, but feeling safe involves much more than simply being physically protected from harm.

This resource explores the different dimensions of safety and how environments, communication, touch, unpredictability, sensory demands and power differences can affect a person’s experience.

It includes:

Physical and perceived safety
Environmental and sensory considerations
Touch and bodily autonomy
Emotional and relational safety
Predictability and communication
Power, coercion and restrictive practice
Recognising escalating distress
Grounding, de-escalation and support after difficult events

Designed to help professionals think beyond physical risk and consider what safety can mean to the individual.

Space to Breathe Therapy