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Trauma

What is Trauma?

What is Trauma?

  • Trauma is an overload of your system
  • Big event or a small experience
  • Ongoing or brief
  • Current, past or intergenerational 
  • Only means you are human

  • Violations of your mental, emotional, physical or spiritual boundaries 
  • Experiencing or witnessing inhumanity
  • Lack of physical, emotional, mental or spiritual safety 
  • Lack of support to process something painful, confusing or overwhelming 
  • Denial or invalidation of your feelings, truth, or felt experiences 
  • Unreasonable stress or demands on you mentally, physically, emotionally or spiritually 
  • Loss of structures, beliefs or people that have allowed you to feel safe 

  • Continual uncertainty, unpredictability or lack of control 
  • Oppression
  • Marginalization
  • Stigma 
  • Not getting your basic human needs met 
  • Not being seen, heard or valued for who you are

How does trauma happen?

How does trauma happen?

How does trauma affect us?

How does trauma affect us?

  • I can never slow down
  • I must always be doing and achieving 
  • I have to make sure nothing bad ever happens 
  • I can’t cope 
  • I’m not safe 
  • I can’t trust myself 
  • I can’t trust others
  • The world is unsafe 
  • I am alone 
  • I am fake 
  • There’s something wrong with me

  • I cannot tolerate sitting honestly and soberly with my self, my feelings and my thoughts 
  • I’m bad 
  • I’m worthless
  • I’m not decisive enough, not easy going enough, not socially skilled enough, not fun enough, not normal enough, not ______ enough 
  • I don’t ask for help
  • I don’t deserve help 
  • It’s all my fault 
  • I have no energy 
  • I can from instantly flip from zero to rage/panic/run/freeze when I get triggered 
  • My memories are like live wires in my brain and body

  • You are seen and heard and understood, and you are not alone 
  • You are real and your experiences are real 
  • None of this means anything negative about you as a person
  • You are human 
  • You are not responsible for the inhumane or scary things that happen to you or to your community 
  • You deserve help

  • Memories can become memories and not constant torture or triggers 
  • You have options and choices and power 
  • You can learn to tolerate your own feelings 
  • You decide how much trauma we process 
  • You decide the pace of our work together 

Elements of Healing

Elements of Healing