I have noticed, and been attentive to, the growing use of the word “trauma informed” as new practices and policies are put in place in schools, Pediatric Clinics, Children’s Hospitals, Health Departments, and Community Health Services. Current research is bringing forth findings indicating nothing has changed, and trauma informed care is leading to trauma informed fatigue.
The health care providers and educators who offer Trauma Informed Care have unintegrated trauma themselves that is not being acknowledged or addressed. Nervous system dysregulation is a sign of unintegrated trauma. Traumatic experiences affect us all. We live in a collective trauma culture. All of our organizations, education systems, healthcare systems, public service, are created and made up of humans who have been born into, grew up in, and educated by parents, teachers, faith community leaders who were also born into a collective trauma. Being trauma informed is having an awareness of the numbers of people with unintegrated trauma living in our world of family, work, community, as well as an awareness of triggers while not knowing who in the field may have unresolved trauma. Having this awareness, taking a course in trauma informed care, is not working. We are trying to fit the new science and practices into “old boxes”. We are trying to innovate and implement new approaches and interventions to healing trauma in the old system that does not work any more.
I was introduced to the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE’s) study by Dr. Christina Bethell, and now the Positive and Adverse Childhood Experiences (PACES) based on Dr. Bethell’s current research regarding the amazing and powerful effectiveness of one person who has a regulated synchronized nervous system offers a safe space, a refuge, and healing, regardless how traumatic the childhood experience. Sensing dysregulation by being fully present with all 5 senses, body, emotions, mind in sync, while sensing with attunement a dysregulated nervous system in the field. Thus Dr. Bethel is known for the phrase, “WE are the medicine”.
There has been an explosion of new information in how our bodies experience trauma. With this new knowledge and understanding, Trauma Sensitive Interventions, such as Trauma Sensitive Yoga and Trauma Sensitive Meditation have been found to be as effective for healing of Post Traumatic Stress, and Moral Injury, as the traditional treatments of talk therapy and medications. Trauma Specialists are dropping the “D” from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), to reflect this new knowledge and amazing science in how our bodies experience trauma. Trauma Sensitive is not the same as Trauma Informed Care. Trauma Sensitive is a specific intervention for those experiencing Post Traumatic Stress, Acute Traumatic Stress, and Moral Injury. An important distinction and therefore discussion is differentiating trauma informed care and trauma sensitive care.
Presencing and relationality, WE is the medicine, the medicine is WE. Healing from trauma does not happen alone. No more doing to, or doing for, but doing with, doing from a place of being, being the companion along the journey. With what we now know about how trauma is experienced in our bodies, implementing this science we must dissolve the boxes. The traditional framework isn’t working any more. It is time to learn from each other. The time is upon us to learn from the field, learning from the Divine, the emerging divine creativity, divine inspiration, making all things new. We increase the capacity to understand and serve others. We grow into becoming more responsive rather than reactive, we listen more carefully, with more care, being fully present and attuned. There is no more “them” and “us”. When one heals we all heal.
Only when we start on this journey with minds and hearts wide open will we see and chart a clear path. I hope you join me.
