The Difference Between Treating Trauma and Being Trauma-Informed in the World of Sports
For the past two weeks we have been talking about the importance of being trauma-informed when working with athletes. We now reach a point where we need to discuss the difference between treating trauma and being trauma-informed. While both aim to support athletes, they are two different scopes of practice, clinical boundaries, and ultimate objectives. So let’s dive into our discussion!
Trauma-Informed Approach
Let’s level the playing field and set a clear definition of what a trauma-informed approach means. According to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2026), being trauma-informed means that organizations, programs, systems, and even individuals understand that trauma can have widespread impact and recognizes the paths for healing; is keenly aware of the signs and symptoms of trauma in not only clients/athletes, but also staff within organizations; and engages fully through the integration of knowledge about trauma policies, procedures, and practices, while actively working to resist retraumatization. Mouthful! So the more simple version of this framework is structural philosophy and organizational culture that is developed around universal precautions and assumes that anyone could have experienced trauma and thus takes measures to shape the training environment, the case of athletes, accordingly.
Primary Goal: To create and maintain an ecosystem of safety, predictability, and autonomy so athletes can train, whether physically or mentally, without their survival alarms accidentally being activated. AKA - Avoid retraumatization!
Scope of Practice: This first point cannot be overstated. Being trauma-informed does mean one is doing clinical work, rather this approach is non-clinical. That means that coaches, athletic directors, strength trainers, and mental performance consultants can all be trauma-informed. Past pain is not being unearthed. Rather, one is simply managing the present environment.
Examples: What does a trauma-informed approach look like in sports?
Somatic Consent: Asking an athlete for verbal permission before physically touching them to adjust their lifting form or athletic posture.
Radical Transparency: Explicitly explaining the neurobiological "why" behind a grueling conditioning drill instead of demanding blind, coercive compliance. This also might be explaining why a mental skills technique is helpful and sharing the neurobiology behind that approach.
Voice and Choice: Allowing athletes a say in their rehabilitation timelines or training modifications.
Actively Treating Trauma
Just as we defined trauma-informed, we will define trauma treatment. Trauma treatment acknowledges and addresses the impact of the trauma on a person' s life through clinical intervention aimed at unpacking and processing specific traumatic events Yadav et al. (2024). The key piece here is that the trauma treatment is clinical and does require a skilled mental health professional. Not just anyone can provide trauma treatment.
Primary Goal: To down-regulate trauma symptoms and safely and effectively discharge trapped survival energy so the person can return to a baseline psychological safety.
Scope of Practice: As mentioned above this is clinical treatment and must be done by licensed mental health professionals who have training and understand how to treat trauma.
Examples: What does trauma treatment look like?
Utilizing EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) to process a terrifying competitive bike crash.
Using Somatic Experiencing (SE) or Dance/Movement Therapy to track and release the "frozen" physical panic locked in an athlete's muscles after a near-drowning or impact trauma.
Key Differences and Not Crossing the Line
Now that we have discussed and defined what trauma-informed means and what trauma treatment is we can highlight some of the key differences. When we are looking at trauma-informed approaches, this can help athletes move from “Good to Great” through environmental optimization because the environment has been set up to help avoid retraumatization and keep athletes safe. Now when it comes to trauma treatment that takes the athlete from “Distressed to Baseline Safety” by addressing past trauma. Simply said. Trauma-informed addresses present relationship dynamics while trauma treatment addresses past events' physiological footprint. When working with an athlete, if someone is not a mental health professional, like coaches, trainers, etc. they do not need to treat trauma to be considered trauma-informed. But, they must be trauma-informed to prevent further harm.
What are the consequences of a coach, performance consultant, or trainer, as examples, trying to treat trauma, even with good intentions? There is a chance that they could do harm to the athlete by destabilizing their nervous system and causing re-traumatization. With that said, professionals who support athletes can work together. For example, a trauma-informed coach knows how to hold a safe space for their athletes, can recognize the warning signs of trauma and clinical distress and ensure that athletes get support from a licensed mental health professional.
Quick note: There are sport and performance consultants who also have a clinical license that can do trauma treatment as long as they have the training and license and the athlete and consultant understand that they are doing therapy, not coaching, and are following the law of the state within which they reside.
True athletic resilience isn't born from forcing athletes to silence their bodies or ignore their histories. When we build sports cultures that are fiercely trauma-informed, we create a sanctuary of safety. And when that safety is paired with the right clinical support when needed, we give our athletes the ultimate foundation to step out of survival mode and unleash their absolute peak performance flow.
A bunch of different types of sports cards layered all around the image.
take action today moment:
Take a little bit to reflect on what you just read. Make sure you understand the difference whether you are an athlete, coach, trainer, etc. so that you can get the help you need or refer to the appropriate person if you are the one supporting an athlete. And remember we can all work towards creating trauma-informed environments. There is no limitation there!
Learn More About Trauma Treatment:
Trauma and PTSD Among Elite Athletes
References
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2026, February 8). Trauma-informed approaches and programs. https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/trauma-violence/trauma-informed-approaches-programs
Yadav, G., McNamara, S., & Gunturu, S. Trauma-informed therapy. [Updated 2024 Aug 16]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2026 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK604200/