Beyond Compliance: Building a Trauma-Informed Practice Rooted in Connection

In this Behavior Connect podcourse, we have Rachel Archambault, a Broward County Public Schools speech-language program specialist and owner of PTSD SLP LLC, to discuss applying trauma-informed care to therapy situations often labeled as “behaviors” or “noncompliance.” Rachel shares her 2018 workplace traumatic experience that led her to trauma-informed education and outlines an agenda covering trauma definitions, impacts, connection over compliance, and practical strategies. She defines trauma as overwhelming control, connection, and meaning, emphasizes survival brain vs learning brain, and describes fight/flight/freeze responses that can be misinterpreted as ADHD or defiance. Using SAMHSA’s framework (realize, respond, resist retraumatization) and six pillars (safety, choice, collaboration, trust, empowerment, cultural issues), she highlights relationship-building before data collection, avoiding “trauma detective” behavior, reflecting on provider dysregulation and co-regulation, and considering systemic biases, school policies (e.g., phone bans), and cultural factors (e.g., fasting).