This week Nikki Kennedy, LPC shares some thoughts on how we can have a trauma informed perspective in the midst of the pandemic.
Questions for personal reflection or (preferably) discussion with someone else...
•What we are all experiencing with the global pandemic could be considered a form of trauma. Have you thought about it this way before? What things feel like they could be traumatic about this season for you, your family, or the world?
•Nikki describes some of the effects of trauma including (but not limited to) agitation, mood swings, anger, anxiety, panic, addiction, dissociation, self-blame, survivor guilt, physical symptoms, behavioral problems, grief, difficulty maintaining relationship etc. Have you seen any of these effects of trauma in your life? In your friends or family? In your children?
•Vicarious trauma is experiencing trauma from seeing the suffering of others. So even If you are not sick with Covid-19, knowing that people are getting sick and the general trauma in our world right now can have personal effects. Have you seen this in your life? What does it look like?
•“Making our implicit experience explicit” can help us to process the trauma we are going through. Who can you talk to this week about what you’re experiencing? Who are safe people in your life to share these types of things with?
•Take a look at this self-care wheel that Nikki shared: https://www.olgaphoenix.com/wp-conten... What on this list could you do this week to bring some relief or comfort in this time? What self-care rhythms from this list could you build into your week?
