Abstract

This article describes a framework for trauma-informed assessment of trafficking survivors that acknowledges the impact of traumatic stress while highlighting survivors’ strengths and supporting their resiliency. It identifies core content areas of a trafficking evaluation and underscores adaptations to the standard process of conducting an assessment. Feedback normalizes symptoms and offers hope, and an experiential element builds survivors’ coping skills and regulatory capacity. A trauma-informed assessment can be the first step in the healing process for many people who have survived trafficking, orienting them towards a path for change and empowering them to face future challenges.