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Trauma

What is 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 happen?

How does trauma affect us?

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

Elements of Healing