What are the 3 C's of trauma?

The 3 c's of Trauma: A path to healing through connection

When it comes to healing from trauma, especially in young people, relationships matter more than we often realize. Leanne Johnson’s 3 Cs Model of Trauma Informed Practice — Connect, Co-Regulate, and Co-Reflect — offers a compassionate, evidence-based roadmap for supporting recovery. This framework doesn’t rely on clinical interventions alone but centers on the power of human connection.

The first C, Connect, highlights the need for safe, trusting relationships. Trauma often severs a person’s sense of safety and belonging. By building consistent, empathetic connections, caregivers and professionals lay the foundation for healing. This isn’t about grand gestures; it’s the quiet presence, the listening ear, the small moments that say, “You’re not alone.”

Next comes Co-Regulate. Trauma disrupts the nervous system, making it hard for individuals, especially children, to manage emotions. Instead of expecting self-control right away, this principle encourages adults to regulate with the person. Through calm presence, shared routines, and emotional attunement, co-regulation helps rebuild a sense of internal safety.

The final C, Co-Reflect, moves beyond behavior management. It’s about exploring experiences together, helping individuals make sense of what happened in a supportive environment. This shared reflection fosters insight, resilience, and agency, not as something the adult imposes, but as a journey taken side by side.

What makes Johnson’s model powerful is its simplicity and humanity. It doesn’t treat trauma as a problem to be fixed, but as an experience to be met with compassion. In schools, therapy rooms, or homes, the 3 Cs remind us that healing grows not in isolation, but in relationship. And sometimes, that’s the most transformative intervention of all.