"In the case of whole organizations, the concept of “collective trauma” is a useful one. Kai Erikson has described collective trauma as “a blow to the basic tissues of social life that damages the bonds attaching people together and impairs the prevailing sense. . .The collective trauma works its way slowly and even insidiously into the awareness of those who suffer from it, so it does not have the quality of suddenness normally associated with ‘trauma’"
~ Dr. Sandra Bloom: Sanctuary Trauma
~ Dr. Sandra Bloom: Sanctuary Trauma
|
“Over time as most people fail the survivor's exacting test of trustworthiness, she tends to withdraw from relationships. The isolation of the survivor thus persists even after she is free.”
― Judith Lewis Herman, Trauma and Recovery |
As I touch on the subject of treatments, I stress again that we're each unique. Those treatments available today that are most successful, understand in the core of the philosophy behind the treatments, that we are each our own person in mind, body, and human spirit.
The best treatment practitioners available to us for support are with us to bear witness through our recovery process, and are gifted as specialized, trauma-informed and educated clinicians in the art attached to their work of holding space with their clients.
What's most important, as I've shared on the frameworks page, is that the help we turn to has accepted a trauma-treatment framework to guide their practice. I shared on the frameworks page the two treatment approaches I'm familiar with from Dr.s Anna Baranowsky and Odelya Gertel-Kraybill.
In my experience working with a variety of care-providers, those who have specialized in provision of trauma-and-violence informed care, regardless of their chosen, go-to modality for treatment, all have a quality tool-box full of modalities and skill that aligns with both frameworks I've shared.
There may not be a formal reference made to these treatment approaches on the part of your own work with clinicians-in my experience the understanding of the need to move slowly with clients through recovery, using these treatment approaches is for the clinicians I've had pleasure to work with, priority number one.
Judith Herman, M.D. in her paper titled, Recovery From Psychological Trauma, discusses eloquently the trauma recovery process, and the role of helpers in supporting their clients inner-work:
"Trauma destroys the social systems of care, protection, and meaning that support human life. The recovery process requires the reconstruction of these systems. The essential features of psychological trauma are disempowerment and disconnection from others. The recovery process therefore is based upon empowerment of the survivor and restoration of relationships. The recovery process may be conceptualized in three stages: establishing safety, retelling the story of the traumatic event, and reconnecting with others. Treatment of post-traumatic disorders must be appropriate to the survivor's stage of recovery. Caregivers require a strong professional support system to manage the psychological consequences of working with survivors." ~ Judith Herman, M.D., Recovery From Psychological Trauma
Trauma Recovery, an online resource made available to us by the Manitoba Trauma Information and Education Centre, puts it like this:
"Historically the approach to addressing trauma was to provide people with fragmented services that did not take into consideration the person as a whole. There was a separation between emotional and physical well-being. Even though many systems began to acknowledge the holistic needs of people being physical, emotional, social, mental and spiritual there was a struggle to define what that really meant. For the most part, the human experience was parceled out to various professional disciplines; the body belonged to the medical profession who could diagnose and prescribe appropriate treatments. The social worker was given the social aspects of the person, the educator the mental, and the counsellor the emotional. Spiritual care was considered the domain of the spiritual specialists, so anything that might be considered religious was deliberately kept out of the conversation in public service agencies."
"What we now know is that trauma affects the whole person; mind, body and spirit therefore recovery also has to take into consideration the person as a whole. Through the nurturing of healthy relationships, attending to basic physical needs (i.e. – sleep and nutrition), having adequate housing and food security people have a greater opportunity to engage in trauma recovery. The mind, body and spirit will respond to these positive factors maximizing the potential for healing."
Trauma Recovery: Manitoba Trauma Information & Education Centre
I can not tell anyone else whom to access as a clinician to support your recovery. But I need to say this towards those in clinical practice as counselors in Canada today: If you haven't specialized in treating your clients with a solid foundation that's educated you in the delivery of trauma-informed care, please, refer any trauma clients to others in your network who do hold credentials that support such specialization.
The first order of business on the part of clinicians in treating trauma-clients: Ensure that YOU do no further harm.
Trauma Informed Care Practice Guide British Columbia: Published Online in 2013.
I know now too many survivors who've be deeply wounded by those in practice hoping to treat trauma issues without the background to support their work. I know too many survivors who've been exposed to harm by those who use talk-therapy practices alone.
The new kid on the block that I'd like any who visit here to learn about, is a situation many in my peer group have experienced in relationships with under-informed family, compensation systems, employers, employment-peers, under-informed friends, and the society on the whole. The key issue with 'stigma' that we've all experienced in one way or the other once we're diagnosed, or experienced at the hand of non-trauma-informed care-providers and unresponsive health-care and social-services systems, is reflected in this new term just now staring to make it's way into mainstream discussions:
Sanctuary Trauma: "First described by Dr. Steven Silver in one of the first papers about the inpatient treatment of Vietnam War veterans, he defined “sanctuary trauma” as that which “occurs when an individual who suffered a severe stressor next encounters what was expected to be a supportive and protective environment” . . . and discovers only more trauma." ~ Sanctuary Trauma, Sandra L. Bloom, M.D.
I know too many survivors who report that the ones they've sought help from seemed to be more personally engaged with THEIR OWN issues in therapy-this, I believe, is due to some in the industry hanging shingles and who are in the work unprepared as they've yet to complete the work of resolving their own traumatizations in life.
I know some might accept this position of my own as judgement. That isn't my intent. My intent in sharing this reality comes from now working with others as a coach, and from my own lived-experience being harmed, unintentionally, by those unprepared counselors I sought help from in the BC Public Mental Health Care System and through Psychiatry.
As Gabor Mate points out in discussing the misunderstanding of trauma in our society and in the medical community, those we turn to in our public systems have had very little trauma-informed education at all:
Dr. Gabor Mate: The Misunderstanding of Trauma by Society and the Medical System
Given my lived experience with Sanctuary Trauma, the number of which I've suffered at this point can't be counted:
I'd like to respectfully suggest that any-and-all care-providers tasked with treating our issues, familiarize yourselves with the "Sanctuary Model" as is studied and proposed for trauma-care by Dr. Sandra Bloom, M.D.
I've found the best help personally from those clinicians who've specialized in delivery of trauma-and-violence informed care. Those I trust to treat us, along with specializing in trauma issues, come to the work with a tool-box full of modalities to apply to our recovery treatments.
I personally have not had a valued experience seeking support through psychiatry. My current physician, however, is a trusted support that assists with managing the use of those medications I've needed to help support remissions.
With all this in mind, in choosing a clinician in Canada to work with in your recovery, the credentials of those you seek help from must meet the requirements referenced by the Canadian Psychological Association, the Canadian Professional Counselors Association, and/or in BC, the requirements of the BC Association of Clinical Counselors.
Follow This Link For An Introduction To Those Treatment Modalities I Personally Trust.
The best treatment practitioners available to us for support are with us to bear witness through our recovery process, and are gifted as specialized, trauma-informed and educated clinicians in the art attached to their work of holding space with their clients.
What's most important, as I've shared on the frameworks page, is that the help we turn to has accepted a trauma-treatment framework to guide their practice. I shared on the frameworks page the two treatment approaches I'm familiar with from Dr.s Anna Baranowsky and Odelya Gertel-Kraybill.
In my experience working with a variety of care-providers, those who have specialized in provision of trauma-and-violence informed care, regardless of their chosen, go-to modality for treatment, all have a quality tool-box full of modalities and skill that aligns with both frameworks I've shared.
There may not be a formal reference made to these treatment approaches on the part of your own work with clinicians-in my experience the understanding of the need to move slowly with clients through recovery, using these treatment approaches is for the clinicians I've had pleasure to work with, priority number one.
Judith Herman, M.D. in her paper titled, Recovery From Psychological Trauma, discusses eloquently the trauma recovery process, and the role of helpers in supporting their clients inner-work:
"Trauma destroys the social systems of care, protection, and meaning that support human life. The recovery process requires the reconstruction of these systems. The essential features of psychological trauma are disempowerment and disconnection from others. The recovery process therefore is based upon empowerment of the survivor and restoration of relationships. The recovery process may be conceptualized in three stages: establishing safety, retelling the story of the traumatic event, and reconnecting with others. Treatment of post-traumatic disorders must be appropriate to the survivor's stage of recovery. Caregivers require a strong professional support system to manage the psychological consequences of working with survivors." ~ Judith Herman, M.D., Recovery From Psychological Trauma
Trauma Recovery, an online resource made available to us by the Manitoba Trauma Information and Education Centre, puts it like this:
"Historically the approach to addressing trauma was to provide people with fragmented services that did not take into consideration the person as a whole. There was a separation between emotional and physical well-being. Even though many systems began to acknowledge the holistic needs of people being physical, emotional, social, mental and spiritual there was a struggle to define what that really meant. For the most part, the human experience was parceled out to various professional disciplines; the body belonged to the medical profession who could diagnose and prescribe appropriate treatments. The social worker was given the social aspects of the person, the educator the mental, and the counsellor the emotional. Spiritual care was considered the domain of the spiritual specialists, so anything that might be considered religious was deliberately kept out of the conversation in public service agencies."
"What we now know is that trauma affects the whole person; mind, body and spirit therefore recovery also has to take into consideration the person as a whole. Through the nurturing of healthy relationships, attending to basic physical needs (i.e. – sleep and nutrition), having adequate housing and food security people have a greater opportunity to engage in trauma recovery. The mind, body and spirit will respond to these positive factors maximizing the potential for healing."
Trauma Recovery: Manitoba Trauma Information & Education Centre
I can not tell anyone else whom to access as a clinician to support your recovery. But I need to say this towards those in clinical practice as counselors in Canada today: If you haven't specialized in treating your clients with a solid foundation that's educated you in the delivery of trauma-informed care, please, refer any trauma clients to others in your network who do hold credentials that support such specialization.
The first order of business on the part of clinicians in treating trauma-clients: Ensure that YOU do no further harm.
Trauma Informed Care Practice Guide British Columbia: Published Online in 2013.
I know now too many survivors who've be deeply wounded by those in practice hoping to treat trauma issues without the background to support their work. I know too many survivors who've been exposed to harm by those who use talk-therapy practices alone.
The new kid on the block that I'd like any who visit here to learn about, is a situation many in my peer group have experienced in relationships with under-informed family, compensation systems, employers, employment-peers, under-informed friends, and the society on the whole. The key issue with 'stigma' that we've all experienced in one way or the other once we're diagnosed, or experienced at the hand of non-trauma-informed care-providers and unresponsive health-care and social-services systems, is reflected in this new term just now staring to make it's way into mainstream discussions:
Sanctuary Trauma: "First described by Dr. Steven Silver in one of the first papers about the inpatient treatment of Vietnam War veterans, he defined “sanctuary trauma” as that which “occurs when an individual who suffered a severe stressor next encounters what was expected to be a supportive and protective environment” . . . and discovers only more trauma." ~ Sanctuary Trauma, Sandra L. Bloom, M.D.
I know too many survivors who report that the ones they've sought help from seemed to be more personally engaged with THEIR OWN issues in therapy-this, I believe, is due to some in the industry hanging shingles and who are in the work unprepared as they've yet to complete the work of resolving their own traumatizations in life.
I know some might accept this position of my own as judgement. That isn't my intent. My intent in sharing this reality comes from now working with others as a coach, and from my own lived-experience being harmed, unintentionally, by those unprepared counselors I sought help from in the BC Public Mental Health Care System and through Psychiatry.
As Gabor Mate points out in discussing the misunderstanding of trauma in our society and in the medical community, those we turn to in our public systems have had very little trauma-informed education at all:
Dr. Gabor Mate: The Misunderstanding of Trauma by Society and the Medical System
Given my lived experience with Sanctuary Trauma, the number of which I've suffered at this point can't be counted:
I'd like to respectfully suggest that any-and-all care-providers tasked with treating our issues, familiarize yourselves with the "Sanctuary Model" as is studied and proposed for trauma-care by Dr. Sandra Bloom, M.D.
I've found the best help personally from those clinicians who've specialized in delivery of trauma-and-violence informed care. Those I trust to treat us, along with specializing in trauma issues, come to the work with a tool-box full of modalities to apply to our recovery treatments.
I personally have not had a valued experience seeking support through psychiatry. My current physician, however, is a trusted support that assists with managing the use of those medications I've needed to help support remissions.
With all this in mind, in choosing a clinician in Canada to work with in your recovery, the credentials of those you seek help from must meet the requirements referenced by the Canadian Psychological Association, the Canadian Professional Counselors Association, and/or in BC, the requirements of the BC Association of Clinical Counselors.
Follow This Link For An Introduction To Those Treatment Modalities I Personally Trust.
|
The following clinicians are those I'm personally familiar with, who've earned my trust and who represent themselves clearly as being specialized to deliver quality trauma-and-violence informed care:
Other Links |
"In the case of whole organizations, the concept of “collective trauma” is a useful one. Kai Erikson has described collective trauma as “a blow to the basic tissues of social life that damages the bonds attaching people together and impairs the prevailing sense. . .The collective trauma works its way slowly and even insidiously into the awareness of those who suffer from it, so it does not have the quality of suddenness normally associated with ‘trauma’"
~ Dr. Sandra Bloom: Sanctuary Trauma
~ Dr. Sandra Bloom: Sanctuary Trauma
Disclaimer: These materials and resources are presented for educational purposes only. They are not a substitute for informed medical advice or training. Do not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem without consulting a qualified health or mental health care provider. If you have concerns, contact your health care provider, mental health professional, or your community health centre.
Darren Gregory © 2018: All Rights Reserved
