Teaching With Trauma and PTSD: Navigating the Aftermath of Sexual Assault as a Graduate Student Instructor
by Cat Williams-Monardes | Xchanges 19.2, Fall 2025
Contents
Conceptualizing Sexual Trauma and PTSD
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Challenges of Teaching with Sexual Trauma as a Graduate Student Instructor
Integrating Trauma-Informed Pedagogy, Critical Disability Theory, and Networks of Care
About the Author
Cat Williams-Monardes (she/her) is a PhD candidate in Composition and Applied Linguistics at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Her work explores the intersections of trauma, disability, and the everyday labor of writing instruction. As a sexual assault survivor, she is committed to disrupting academic cultures that normalize silence around trauma and to advocating for pedagogiges rooted in justice, care, and accountability. Cat teaches first-year writing at Duquesne University.
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