Interpersonal Violence and Sexual Assault: Trauma-Informed Communication Approaches in University Counseling Centers

A university in the United States Mountain West utilized grant resources to track counseling services for students who were currently experiencing or who had historically experienced relationship violence, sexual assault and/or stalking. This report reflects on the first 2 years of this program, including an overview of prevalence and reporting rates of interpersonal violence from university students. Given the prevalence of recent and historic interpersonal violence among university students, suggestions are offered for bringing a trauma-informed and communication-focused perspective to the solution-focused brief therapy model used in many university counseling centers. A case study outlining these approaches is offered.