Through many conversations and other interactions with people about the Beyond the Trauma Wall Initiative, a clearer sense of its practical aims is emerging. Writing my upcoming book, ‘The Trauma Root of Social Work: Beyond the Trauma Wall’ has also contributed to that. It is through having very different conversations with people from different sectors and backgrounds that the generally applicable through-lines gradually become more visible. I want to share them with you here.
The practical things that I aim to offer and achieve through collaborations and partnerships in different sectors and countries with the Beyond the Trauma Wall Initiative are:
- Raising awareness about the trauma wall, how it impacts individuals, systems, and societies, and how to break it down
- Training and capacity building around understanding the mechanisms behind high stress levels and trauma, what coping mechanisms can look like, what their purpose is, and what the consequences are
- Training and capacity building around how to create the deeply felt sense of safety, trust, and belonging needed to provide meaningful support, to enable healing and education, and to build strong and healthy communities
- Introducing and promoting the trauma-proactive approach
- Enabling a shift from symptom management and a focus on behavioural change to identifying and addressing root causes to prevent relapses and escalation of problems (including understanding of, for example, addiction problems as a replacement for the healthy addiction to relationships and social interaction that is supposed to develop in childhood – you can read more about this HERE)
- Raising awareness about the significant return on investment, both financially and in improved quality of life and reduction of many of the current societal challenges, of breaking down the trauma wall and adopting a trauma-proactive approach. Including the potential of developing a polysolution for the current global polycrisis.
Written down like this, it looks like a small, neat list. However, its potential impact is enormous. Over time, the list may change. What is implemented and how will depend on the partnerships at any given moment and the sectors in which they function. Whatever the partnership, sector or scale, however, positive ripples will be created and spread.
If you are interested in discussing partnership or collaboration, or if you are looking for a keynote or training on these issues, please feel free to contact me at [email protected].
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