Working with Trauma Mindfully

Trauma can impact everything from the way the brain functions, to relationships, ability to feel inside the body, general wellbeing, our collective psyche, culture and our sense of individual self.

The good news is with neuroscience research we now know a lot more now about trauma and it's impacts than we've ever known. We also know it's highly prevalent in our community and often not picked up or diagnosed and treated as something else.

We've come along way from seeing people who have experienced trauma as patients and a holistic approach to recovery is helpful. Here are some other ways of offering yourself support and care in what is often a long journey to recovery.

• Become aware of the triggers in the present.

• Be patient with understanding your past.

• Seek relationships and community where you are truly heard and seen.

• Have strategies that help you feel safe and at ease.

• Practice breathing, creativity & moving the body.

• Actively work on changing social conditions so that others can feel safe and thrive.

• Participate in your own healing process with holistic counselling or an appropriate therapy.

• Focus attention on emotional and physical aspects rather than purely cognitive (thinking).

• Activate the senses and rediscover your intuition.

If you feel isolated and alone with your experience then reach out for support and learn some helpful skills to support you. Social engagement and supportive relationships along with learning to trust your own experience and sense of agency is essential to recovery. A holistic counselling approach will help you work with your emotions, triggers, thoughts and schemas and help develop awareness and self compassion in the therapeutic process.