Transforming Advocacy through Reflective Practice

The other day I was participating in a webinar presented by the Domestic Violence and Mental Health Policy Initiative and was encouraged to contemplate on the use of “reflective practice” in our work with people who have been affected by trauma. This appears to be a vital component in providing trauma informed services. In this blog post I am going to talk about how we can apply reflective practice to our daily work, how it may help us increase our effectiveness as advocates and how it may also help ease some of the effects of vicarious trauma. I will be applying information from the webinar and from a presentation by Michael Morgan, Ph.D., LMFT of the University of Wyoming called Transforming Counselor Education Through Reflective Practice given at the ACES Annual conference in October 2009.


What is reflective practice?

Reflective practice is a way of being that values and enacts ongoing personal awareness of the advocate to the tenor and quality of the interpersonal encounter, while also holding in mind the history and contributions of the other person. According to Michael Morgan this includes a “moment to moment non-judgmental awareness and the ability to reflect on one’s own and the other’s mental states and have the ability to look inward while also looking outward.”

By being mindfully reflective we take a step back from a situation and consider as much as we can before taking further action. This would include being aware of our own and the other’s relationship patterns, life experiences and unmet needs, cultural norms and personal values, coping skills, and preferred way of being. We may not be aware of all that the other person is managing in a particular moment, but, as advocates, we are aware that most, if not all, of the survivors we are working with are dealing with the effects of trauma in their lives. How they are managing these effects are determined by their life history, cultural background, current health and living situation, their stage of development, and current supports.

“How you are is as important as what you do.” Dr. Jeree Pawl

Advocates want to be helpful and empowering in the work that we do. Reflective practice emphasizes the “being” of our work. Being helpful depends, in part, on our awareness and regulation of our own processes as well as our being able to perceive what is happening in the mind of another.

Example: Heather is an advocate who has been working with a survivor, Mary, and preparing her for a protective order hearing. Mary has been focused on being able to retain custody of her children and her place of residence. She appears to be disorganized at times. A day before the hearing Mary admits that she has been involved with the local DCYF (a referral was not made by them) and is currently under investigation for neglect due to Mary’s drug use. Mary admits to occasional drug use.

Through reflective practice, Heather is able to be mindful of her own beliefs and attitudes regarding substance abuse and is able to recognize what about Mary’s drug use may trigger Heather’s own issues. The advocate is also able to recognize that Mary’s withholding of this information may be due to her trauma history (told not to tell family secrets), her fear of losing the advocate’s help (has been abandoned in the past by caretakers) and her fear of losing her children. Heather uses reflective practice to be able understand her role in the relationship as the advocate and is able to put aside feelings of frustration due to Mary’s withholding of important information. Heather is able to not take the issue personally and maintain a good relationship. By being nonjudgmental and able to reflect on her own attitudes and beliefs, Heather is able to help Mary with the immediate crisis and eventually be available to work with Mary in regards to finding help for her substance abuse issues.


“Do unto others as you would have them do unto others.”

It is vital to reflective practice that it be incorporated into the culture of the programs in which we work. When supervisors and agency directors provide a safe place and relationships that promote safety, respect and the ability to be vulnerable then advocates are  free to do the same for shelter guests and clients. Being given the time and space to engage in reflection can decrease the effects of vicarious trauma and promote an atmosphere of empowerment that then encompasses the survivors with whom we work.

A reflective culture in our programs can be done as follows:

Ongoing awareness work (values, experience, patterns, preferences)

• Along: mindfulness practices, journaling, holistic wellness, body scan

• With others: personal counseling, reflective supervision



In reflecting upon on our work with others the following questions may be helpful:

How do you feel related to the other (likes, dislikes)?

When have you felt/responded similarly? Who do they remind you of? What personal experiences come to mind?

What do you bring to your work with this client (currently, historically)? How can this be an asset or liability?

What does it feel like to be in this person’s body? What is meaningful to this person? Why?

What does she need?

We have a baseline of understanding based on our knowledge of trauma and how that affects a person behaviorally and cognitively By applying reflective practice to our work we are more able to act rather be reactionary.

In closing, remember that no matter how difficult it is to work with a survivor, it is more difficult to be them. Through reflective practice we will be able to be more mindful and be able to engage in healing relationships.