Everywhere you turn these days, it seems you run into something about trauma.
The word is used so often, and in so many contexts, the meaning seems to be lost through overuse, even as it is poorly understood.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration provides this definition, which I think is pretty helpful in starting to understand trauma:
“Trauma results from an event, series of events, or set of circumstances that is experienced by an individual as physically or emotionally harmful or life threatening and that has lasting adverse effects on the individual’s functioning and mental, physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being” (SAMHSA, 2014)
It’s a fairly broad definition, to be sure, and encompasses much more than the physical trauma we see when one is seriously injured in an accident, or the kind of emotional injury that results in PTSD. (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).
Some key features of this definition are really important:
- This definition acknowledges that both events and circumstances can create harm that has lasting negative effects
- It is the individual’s own experience that matters; two of us may be caught in a bank robbery together, and only one of us may experience lasting harm to our functioning and well-being
- The definition takes into consideration the whole person, in the form of well-being
It looks like there are tons of events and circumstances that could cause trauma, so the definition raises as many questions as it answers!
Why do some people have lasting problems because of these different incidents? What helps some people be more resilient, and others more vulnerable, to the impact of trauma? What are the physical, social, and emotional effects of unresolved trauma across the lifespan?
And finally, what can be done to heal from trauma?
I’ll be offering an interactive workshop series on the impact of trauma and how to cultivate trauma-responsive care organizations this fall, and would love to have you join me.
For more information, please visit: Foundations of Trauma-Informed Care.
The series begins September 9.
Lisa Kendall
Eden Educator; Social Worker; Clinical Gerontologist
The Eden Alternative
Lisa is a social worker and clinical gerontologist who has worked in the aging and Elder care field for over four decades, pioneering caregiver support, stress management, and care partner education in a variety of settings. Following retirement from her award-winning psychotherapy practice (where she specialized in health issues, trauma healing, and bereavement), Lisa continues to work as a strong advocate for person-directed care. An Educator and Mentor for The Eden Alternative®, she speaks widely on care partner issues and the impact of trauma on physical and mental health. Lisa transforms how we think about aging and Elder care, trauma, and grief by harnessing the wisdom, intuition, and creative spirit of adults, Elders, and organizations. Her passion is to work collaboratively to cultivate growth across the lifespan and to nurture well-being for every member of the care partner team.
About The Eden Alternative:
The Eden Alternative is a non-profit organization that improves the quality of life for Elders and their care partners through an approach that focuses on the whole person. The Eden Approach® creates a person-directed care environment that eliminates loneliness, boredom, and helplessness by providing opportunities for meaningful engagement and spontaneity.
The Eden Approach® includes:
Person-directed care: Upholding one’s right to choose for themselves
Strength-based solutions: Focusing on what can be done, rather than what can’t
Empowered cultures: Engaging and building on the voice of each person
The Eden Alternative:
Deconstructs negative attitudes about aging and changing abilities.
Produces creative, attuned, and highly responsive teams.
Fosters deeper confidence, satisfaction, and a strong sense of ownership.
Builds consistent caring relationships by reducing employee turnover.
Results in happier families, happier employees, and happier elders.
