Date of Award
1-20-2025
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
School Psychology
First Advisor
Pamela Fenning
Abstract
Due to a wide breadth of training, school psychologists are uniquely qualified to provide indirect and direct services outlined by best practices, such as school-based mental health services, special education evaluations, and trauma-informed practices. Professional standards indicate that school psychologists are equipped to identify trauma response symptoms and provide evidence-based services when supporting students with trauma histories. However, an identified gap between best practices and the present realities of school psychologists' has been identified in the literature. The few studies that explored the experiences of school psychologists endorsed a lack of training and confidence with identifying trauma response symptoms and subsequent trauma-informed services. The present study used a phenomenological qualitative research design using semi-structured interviews to determine the realities of Illinois school psychologists in providing these trauma-informed practices. The results of the present study added to the literature by highlighting eight participants’ experiences with learning and implementing trauma-informed care at the graduate and professional level. Key findings suggest that these participants received baseline, or general, knowledge of identifying trauma response symptoms and trauma-informed care through graduate training programs and professional development opportunities offered through their school district and state or national organizations. While these participants reported feeling more confident and prepared in their ability to identify trauma response symptoms, they desired explicit application-based training to better understand how to support students with trauma histories through school-based therapeutic and counseling approaches. Further, these participants highlighted systemic barriers (e.g., resources, school psychologist shortage, limited school-wide knowledge) and facilitators (e.g., team-based support, consultation) that impacted their ability to provide trauma-informed care. The findings obtained from the eight interviews sparked possible implications and future directions for the fields of school psychology and education.
Recommended Citation
Williamson, Taylor, "School Psychologists’ Experiences and Roles in Trauma-Informed Practices" (2025). Dissertations. 4152.
https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss/4152
