Author’s Note: I am Canadian, originally from Winnipeg, and I lived in Toronto for 15 years as an adult. I’ve been living in Chicago since 2011 and I work in the areas of conflict resolution, restorative justice, and diversity and inclusion. I see myself as an ally, and I write this from the perspective of a cisgender person of colour … Read More

We are living in strange times, with unique challenges that many of us have never encountered before. Everywhere on the planet, people now have to collectively focus on survival, united in facing a shared threat: COVID-19. Every one of us is equipped with instincts to help us rise to the challenge of survival, but these same instincts can also add … Read More

The pervasiveness of trauma and its impact on our local communities and the world has seldom been so visible. The outbreak of COVID-19 has exposed cracks in how vulnerable and fragile our global community can become. Our thoughts are taken up with concern for loved ones, uncertainty about work and our personal health, and anxiety about what tomorrow will bring. … Read More

Anyone can be affected by post-traumatic stress. Post-traumatic stress disorder is not only for mental or physical health professionals to know about. It is essential that everyone become trauma-informed in order to prevent PTSD, to protect and seek help for themselves or loved ones, and to mitigate the ongoing effects that can build over time from a traumatic experience. Increasing … Read More

You have probably heard a lot of buzz around being trauma-informed as it’s a term that is becoming increasingly embraced. Many organizations are actively seeking out ways to ensure their programming and services are fit for this label, which means they are engaging in the following pillars of trauma-informed care: Awareness of the prevalence of trauma, and how common it … Read More

What is a common public health threat that often goes unacknowledged and untreated – even by many caregivers and public health professionals?  The pervasiveness of trauma and its widespread impact on a person’s life often keep it hidden under physical, emotional or behavioural symptoms that don’t get recognized for what they are.  Without recognition, this all too common phenomenon can … Read More

Last month’s blog highlighted the ever more utilized term of trauma. As that post stated, trauma is used here to refer to an experience that is fear-inducing and shocks one’s experience of self and experience with the outside world. An experience of trauma triggers the brain’s fight-flight-freeze response system (also known as the autonomic nervous system). This sends an automatic … Read More

With millions of people needing to flee their homes and seek refuge in other parts of the world, the stories of refugee individuals and families will interweave with people all over the world.  If you are one offering support in some fashion, how will your own story be influenced by theirs? Many of us as helpers are familiar with stories … Read More

Trauma has become a household word used in everyday vocabulary.  The real deal is anything but an everyday experience, however.  The word trauma usually evokes images of threatening or devastating events such as near-death accidents, assaults, wars, or natural disasters. More common, and sometimes overlooked, are the experiences that involve persistent doses of fear and helplessness within the daily relationships … Read More

For Those Who Work with Youth in Conflict with the Law Consider the following three vignettes: A middle-aged man overdoses on crack cocaine and is found dead in a rooming house by the landlord (…after his parole officer phones with regard to his whereabouts). A teenager is caught breaking into a house in a suburban part of a city by … Read More