Trauma

The impacts of trauma are far-reaching and, when not properly responded to, potentially devastating. As a therapist who graduated from a trauma-focused training program and a trauma survivor myself, many of my illustrated mental health resources address the topic of trauma either directly or indirectly.

Trauma, according to a landmark CDC and Kaiser Health study, is a public health crisis that has far-reaching impacts on health, longevity, quality of life, and even criminal justice.

Below, you will find some of the mental health illustrations and teaching resources that I have created on the topics of trauma, PTSD, C-PTSD, childhood trauma, posttraumatic growth, and resiliency.

Triggers vs “Triggered”: Trauma Triggers and Modern Language Shifts

It’s normal to feel upset, anxious, or extremely uncomfortable when we encounter difficult content. Having a strong reaction to information that is generally considered troubling …

Good trauma therapy helps reduce the impact of trauma so we have more room for positive feelings, health relationships, and kind self care.

How (Good) Trauma Therapy Works – A Model for Understanding Trauma Recovery

Trauma Therapy Even as someone who has studied trauma therapy for years, I often find it difficult to describe just how trauma therapy works and …

Disaster Response and Recovery

Phases of Disaster & Collective Trauma: Mental Health & Recovery

None of us really know what it looks like to survive and thrive beyond a global pandemic. Thankfully, past government funding for research about disaster …

A sketchnote on parenting and trauma.

Sketchnotes on Parenting, Trauma, and Childhood Adversity

Instead of questioning (“How could you?”) or punishing (“How dare you!”) look for the entry point for empathy (“Oh, of course you…”). When someone – …

lindsay braman trauma avocado teaching model

Trauma Recovery Avocado Model

Trauma and trauma recovery look different for everyone, but generally, there’s a deep, hardened core and a bunch of squishy stuff, all held together by …

mindfulness grounding cards - trauma-sensitive

Mindfulness Card Deck for Trauma-Sensitive Grounding Activities

Perfect for parents, teachers, and those in the mental health field, this simple card game is designed to be a fun and engaging way to …

Minimalist Bullet Journal Layout - Mental Health Trigger Tracking

Trigger-Tracker Worksheet for Mental Health Journaling and Self-Advocacy

Dismantling mental health triggers often involves a little detective work. Although awareness of “being triggered” can be very obvious, for many people, figuring out specific …

Pyramid of crisis planning

Pyramid of Crisis Response & Planning – A Visual

The nature of crisis is that it’s (1) overwhelming, and (2) inevitable. Whether you are a clinician in the helping professions or a person in …

How to talk about trauma in relationships. Disclosing trauma in new relationships 101.

Disclosing Trauma in New Relationships 101

In a culture where “vulnerability” can sometimes feel like relational currency, it’s easy to fall into a trap of disclosing trauma stories before a new …

The language we use to discuss traumatic events and trauma survivors matters.

How We Give Language to Traumatic Events Changes How We Heal

For a while now, the terminology of both “victim” and “survivor” has sat uneasily with me. Both terms center the traumatic experience as part of …

Normal trauma response vs. PTSD (chronic trauma response)

Normal Trauma Response vs PTSD: Interpreting the Research

When brains experience trauma, they struggle to cope with it. It’s normal – and part of the healing process – to have flashbacks, nightmares, or …