Psychology Trauma Studies (PSY_TS)

Formerly PSYCH 39. Orientation for Trauma Studies is required for all students enrolled in Introduction to Trauma Studies. This course orients and prepares students to study psychological trauma. Students will learn the definition of trauma, the different types of trauma, and the impact trauma has on individuals, families, and communities. The course will introduce the role of narratives and storytelling in healing trauma. The course will also expose students to methods to mitigate and regulate emotional activation when triggered by trauma, including breath work, meditation, and grounding techniques. Students examine the topics of resilience, posttraumatic growth, and posttraumatic wisdom.

Formerly PSYCH 40. This course is a comprehensive introduction to trauma studies, emphasizing different types and categories of trauma, prevailing theoretical perspectives, and the cause, treatment, and prevention of trauma and stressor-related disorders. Students will examine the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on psychological disorders, including PTSD, addiction, depression, and anxiety, and learn about the biological consequences of traumatic and stressful experiences on the brain, nervous system, and physical body. The course will examine the role of culture and how stress and trauma affect disproportionally impacted groups. It will explore practical ways to respond to trauma and the protective factors that promote resilience, post-traumatic growth, and wisdom.

Formerly PSYCH 41. This course introduces students to a comprehensive understanding of trauma and the fundamental principles of the trauma-informed approach. Students examine how trauma-informed strategies address the needs of individuals with trauma histories within organizational settings. The course assesses ways frontline workers can mitigate re-traumatization risks for clients within organizational contexts. Students will examine the strategies that help reduce burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma among workers. Students will develop trauma-informed approaches customized for specific cultural backgrounds, promoting inclusivity and accessibility. They will construct strategies that address the intersectionality of a person's identity in the context of trauma-informed care.

This is an introductory course on the psychological, sociological, emotional, and cultural effects of trauma and the development of resilience and posttraumatic growth (PTG). It encompasses foundational theories, models, and frameworks and emphasizes types of trauma, factors that promote resilience, and evidence-based approaches that support resilience and PTG. The course also integrates research findings, considers social and cultural factors, and presents practical interventions to promote healing and growth in the aftermath of trauma.

This course explores experiences of grief following traumatic loss, with particular attention to the social, psychological, emotional, and cultural effects on individuals and communities. Grief is examined not only in the context of death but also in situations where loss occurs without death. Multiple forms of grief—including disenfranchised grief, ambiguous loss, anticipatory grief, and prolonged grief disorder—will be addressed. The course also considers how trauma, loss, and grief intersect with factors such as gender, age, ethnicity, and broader social contexts. By the end of the course, students will be better prepared to recognize and thoughtfully respond to grief in themselves and others.