“You do not have to be a therapist, to be therapeutic”
At the end of January 2021, we ran a free Level 1 Emotional Trauma Training session hosted by our CEO and Clinical Director, trauma specialist Sue Bell. We were joined by over 130 people from a wide variety of professions that all had something in common, a desire to better understand and support children or young people who may have experienced emotional trauma.
Zoe, a new member of the Kids Inspire Team, tells us how she found the session:
I think we all worry when we’re helping people through tough times, whether we are supporting them in the “right” way, I know that I do. Am I saying the right thing? Am I making them feel any better? Am I making them feel worse?
I’ve seen how our fantastic therapeutic team assist children and young people who have experienced trauma and I’ve often thought that if I could take even a sample of that into my social, professional and family life, it would allow me to better emotionally support those that I care for.
So, when I was offered the opportunity to attend the Emotional Trauma Training session, I jumped at the chance to join.
It was heart-warming to see so many familiar faces and so many new ones at the session. Every participant seemed to really throw themselves into the learning process and this created a great, safe, collaborative environment that I felt comfortable in.
Sue talked us through how we can define trauma, the possible results that can arise from experiencing it and how we can begin to regulate its impact. She shared some fantastic resources, videos, books and articles which we could take away with us and delve into to gain even more information.
Towards the end of the session, Sue led us into an “Internal Weather Report” activity which I found not only a useful tool to use with others, but it also gave us space to slow down for a minute and focus on our own wellbeing. In the current climate, it is often hard to find the time to stop, breath and connect with your body so this activity was invaluable to me.
Perhaps what stuck with me the most, was a quote Sue shared with us from Nathan Swaringen- “You do not have to be a therapist to be therapeutic.” This really summarised why I was there and why I found the session so helpful.
I am not a therapist, but I can be therapeutic. Not just for my friends, my family and my colleagues, but for myself too.
Some topics covered in the training included:
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Definitions of Trauma
Symptoms of Un-Discharged Traumatic Stress
The Nervous System
The Resilience Roadmap