A Learning Model on the Readiness to Learn Self-Care for Trauma Survivors

Family violence is increasing globally, affecting health outcomes and healthcare resources. Abuse is a form of trauma that can cause mental health issues such as stress, anxiety, disconnection, distortion of reality, and learning difficulties. Trauma survivors are often silent sufferers, who are hard to reach and even more challenging to teach. This translates into poorer health outcomes within this vulnerable group as trauma survivors are not able or ready to implement self-care efforts independently. Therefore, understanding how these survivors learn is vital to facilitate their trauma recovery and empower them to regain autonomy. Educators must hone their ethical pedagogical responsibility in providing care for a diverse learner population which reflects trauma-informed care. Hence, to contribute to advancing pedagogical epistemology, a trauma andragogical model is developed that promotes trauma recovery through the readiness to learn and ability to connect through realities of the self, others, world, and learning environment. This progression reflects a learner’s ability to learn, which influences learner motivation and capacity to pursue self-care behaviors. The Readiness to Learn Self-Care Model for Trauma Survivors, therefore, outlines the steps, or doors, a survivor must go through to reach independent self-care behavior. The model uses ethical principles based on self-determination, autonomy, and health equity to support social justice by providing accessible learning, which is learner centered. The Readiness to Learn Self-Care Model for Trauma Survivors contributes to pedagogical epistemology through articulating anagogical trauma-related principles through philosophical, theoretical, and anecdotal realms.