Trauma-informed Undergraduate Psychology Curriculum
Fulfills undergraduate psychology graduation criteria
Integrates trauma science, ethics, communication, advocacy, and cultural competence.
Prepares students for advanced study, clinical practice, research, and leadership.
Positions Scholastic Institutions as a pioneer in trauma-informed undergraduate education.
Introduction to Trauma Science: Primary and secondary re-traumatization
This foundational course introduces students to trauma theory, neurobiology, and the concept of secondary re-traumatization. Students examine how psychological trauma manifests, how social systems contribute to harm, and the basics of trauma-informed care.
Key Competencies:
Neurobiology of trauma and stress
Distinguishing primary trauma from secondary re-traumatization
Understanding institutional betrayal
Case analysis of procedural and systemic harm
Ethics and Systems: Institutional betrayal and psychological responsibility
Explores ethical frameworks in psychology, with a focus on institutional betrayal and systemic re-traumatization. Students learn to recognize ethical drift, apply APA principles, and advocate for ethical reform in psychological practice and research.
Key Competencies:
APA Ethical Principles in trauma contexts
Institutional betrayal and ethical drift
Advocacy and ethical leadership
Analyzing ethical dilemmas in psychological systems
Trauma-Informed Communication: Repairing clinical and research relationships
Teaches advanced communication and relational repair skills for trauma-affected populations. Students learn rupture-repair models, trauma-informed language, and strategies for restoring trust in clinical, research, and peer relationships.
Key Competencies:
Trauma-informed communication
Rupture-repair frameworks (Safran & Muran; Briere & Scott)
Building trust and accountability
Addressing mistrust and mis-attunement in psychology
Assessment and Documentation: Ethical practice with survivors
Students gain skills in trauma-sensitive
psychological assessment and ethical documentation. The course covers recognizing trauma responses, avoiding re-traumatization in records, and protecting survivor dignity in clinical, research, and community settings.
Key Competencies:
Trauma-sensitive assessment
Ethical documentation practices
Recognizing and recording secondary victimization
Legal and ethical implications in psychological records
Social Systems, Media, and Public Advocacy in Psychology
Prepares students to understand and address trauma in the context of legal systems, media, and digital exposure. Students learn to support survivors facing public scrutiny, advocate for narrative agencies, and recognize digital trauma dynamics.
Key Competencies:
Supporting survivors in legal and public contexts
Digital trauma and narrative loss
Psychological advocacy in social systems
Cyberpsychology and its intersection with trauma
Cultural Humility, Bias, and Epistemic Justice in Psychological Practice
Addresses the intersection of trauma, culture, and bias. Students learn to identify epistemic injustice, credibility bias, and health disparities, and to deliver culturally responsive, survivor-centered psychological care and research.
Key Competencies:
Cultural humility in trauma-informed psychology
Epistemic injustice and testimonial bias
Inclusive assessment and intervention
Strategies for equity in psychological practice
