God asks us to participate in the life-giving care of people. Untangling the web trauma spins for those who have complex PTSD is one of those rewarding opportunities. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Kathy Knochel and Brian Sutter take the discussion of complex trauma to the next level. They help us see what help looks like and gives us all a role to play.

Show notes:

Help for those with complex trauma can be understood in three phases:

• Phase 1: Safety and Stabilization
  • Stabilize the victim and ensure their safety. Receive them on an emotional level. Help create for them a new safe experience that will over time help them construct a healthy meaning of their world.
• Phase 2: Processing Trauma
  • Professionals in this phase can help create healthy meaning to old memories.
• Phase 3: Meaning Making and Reconnecting
  • Help a victim engage in the world in a healthy way. Their difficult past does not bind them; rather it equips and provides value to their present.