Trauma-Informed Care in Physical Therapy: Identifying Somatic PTSD Red Flags and Instituting an Outpatient Care Plan (1 Contact Hour)

This self-paced, 60-minute educational masterclass provides physical therapy clinicians with the vital competencies required to identify somatic warning signs of PTSD and implement trauma-informed care (TIC) protocols in outpatient orthopedic and specialty rehab settings. Because physical therapy inherently involves close physical contact, disrobing, manual touch, and evoking intense body sensations, clinical environments can act as powerful, unannounced triggers for survivors of trauma. By establishing a 'Universal Trauma Precautions' framework, this course teaches clinicians how to elevate psychological and emotional safety to equal footing with physical safety. Participants will learn to recognize autonomic dysregulation (hyperarousal and dissociation), de-escalate threat-responses, restructure consent, and design multi-disciplinary plans of care that utilize structured exercise to aid neurobiological recovery.