Welcome to the inaugural edition of Blue Knot Review – an electronic journal chronicling recent developments and new perspectives around childhood trauma and trauma-informed practice. It is designed for health and legal professionals and interested others.

CHILDHOOD TRAUMA: Then & Now

In the lead article we chart the growing interest in the treatment of the long-term impacts of childhood trauma in adults.

Judith Herman’s pioneering text, 'Trauma and Recovery’ was published in 1992. Since then the clinical and research landscape, around the multiple adverse effects of childhood trauma, has changed dramatically, in a number of ways.

Neuroscientific findings, coupled with the explosion of research, around attachment dynamics, herald exciting possibilities for more effective and nuanced treatments. This even includes the treatment of severe longstanding early life trauma. Current research findings support optimism for recovery and such optimism is no longer regarded as `wishful thinking’.

However, there remains a vast gap between what we know (i.e. what the evidence shows) and what actually happens on the ground. Failure to allocate adequate funds for workforce development and service provision means that vast numbers of people still cannot access appropriate professional support.

Applying Trauma-Informed Practice to Legal and Judicial Contexts

Acknowledgement of trauma within legal systems is long overdue. This paradox is in urgent need of redress.
The law plays a pivotal role in regulation of, and responses to, human behaviour; yet the insights of psychology do not currently inform legal professional training.

“Trauma-Informed Practice” is applicable not only to mental health, but to all forms of human service delivery and interaction. Necessarily, this includes the domain of law - legal practitioners are regularly dealing with people either as victim or offenders whose lives have been impacted by trauma.

Sex worker or solider? Who is more likely to have PTSD?

When we think about post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), we most often think of soldiers traumatised by their war experiences. But the statistics tell another story.

About 5-12% of Australian military personnel who have experienced active service have PTSD at any one time, this is about the same as rates for police, ambulance personnel, firefighters and other rescue workers.

While these rates are significant, they are not vastly different to rates in the general Australian population (8% of women and 5% of men).

Sex workers however... Read more here.

Podcast – Dissociation and coping with trauma

Dissociative Identity Disorder is a condition that can develop as a protective mechanism against trauma.

We hear the compelling story of a woman who, after a childhood of family abuse, lived with identities too numerous to count – and how she eventually recovered.

Guest speakers include Dr Cathy Kezelman AM and Professor Warwick Middleton.

Listen here.

Changing the conversations about trauma

Childhood trauma is all around us. It is the theme of this year’s Oscar-winning movie Moonlight, about a young boy abused by his mother and gangs at school.

Despite its visibility, there is a stigma about talking publicly and privately about childhood traumas.

Certainly trauma is a society-wide public health challenge and its financial, personal and societal costs are enormous.

Read more here.

Blue Knot Foundation is the leading national organisation working to improve the lives of the five million (1 in 4) Australian adults who are survivors of childhood trauma.

Blue Knot Foundation would like to thank Keren Seelander (b.1957 Keith S.A.) for her generosity in allowing us to use extracts of her artwork for the banner of Blue Knot Review. Each issue will give readers a taste of her art. Critics say Keren’s artwork has the ability to touch people deeply, and we think so too! You can view her work: http://www.seelander.com.au.

Blue Knot Review is an eJournal chronicling recent developments and new perspectives around childhood trauma and trauma-informed practice. Contact newsletter@blueknot.org.au for feedback or to contribute.

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As a thought, policy and practice leader in the fields of complex trauma, vicarious trauma and trauma-informed practice, Blue Knot Foundation delivers professional development training across Australia. Click here to find out more.

The Blue Knot Helpline has established a referral database of mental health practitioners, doctors,
service providers and support groups to provide referral options to callers requesting them. For information on how to apply to be considered for our referral database, please click here .