How Good Therapy Works to Reduce Trauma Triggers
When we endure traumatic events, the experience may stay with us in various ways – even in ways we may not recognize. Good trauma treatment …
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.
Building a Trauma-Informed Grounding Kit for your Classroom or Office
It’s a strange thing that commercial properties still designate areas for smoking and offices provide kitchens, but even though 70% of people have experienced trauma, if we find ourselves on the brink of bursting into tears at work or school, often a bathroom is the only place to retreat to. What if we carved out space- both physically and culturally- to take mental health breaks? In this post, I share step by step instructions for creating a mental health retreat in your home, workplace, or classroom to help people who are triggered or Very Upset to mindfully ground in order to reengage.
PTSD & Trauma Recovery Resources
Research is exploding in the field of PTSD recovery and traumatic stress. In this section we’ve collected a number of resources about trauma and trauma …
Triggers vs “Triggered”: Trauma Triggers and Modern Language Shifts
Feeling upset, anxious, or extremely uncomfortable when we encounter difficult content is normal. Having a strong reaction to information that is generally considered troubling or …
Trauma Recovery: A Visual Model
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 …
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 …
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 …
Trauma Recovery Avocado Model
Trauma and trauma recovery look different for everyone. Generally, there’s a deep, hardened core and a bunch of squishy stuff, all held together by a …
Mindfulness Card Deck for Trauma-Sensitive Grounding Activities
This mindfulness card deck is designed to be a fun way to invite kids, adults, and groups to turn their attention to their body in …
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 Response & Planning – A Visual Resource
The nature of crisis is that it is (1) overwhelming, and (2) inevitable. Whether you are a clinician in the helping professions or a person …
How to Tell A Friend or Partner About Your Past Trauma
In a culture where “vulnerability” can sometimes feel like relational currency, it’s easy to fall into a trap of telling someone about our trauma stories …
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: 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 …