Initiated Survivor

Stages of Trauma Recovery- Part Two

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In the finale of this two-part special, we are examining what recovery means to survivors. In Part One, we went through the progression of emotional tone as someone begins to process their trauma. Now, in Part Two, we are looking at the three main stages of recovery: Establishing Safety, Remembrance and Mourning, and Integration and Reconnection. Heavily influenced by Judith Herman's "Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence--from Domestic Abuse to Political Terror" , my own recovery journey and the journeys of others, we come together to see that recovery is not a straight line. Instead, it is like a flower where each recovery step reveals more and more petals as we blossom from victim to survivor — from surviving to thriving.

Topics/Triggers:

  • Establishing Safety in both external safety (in our surroundings) and internal safety (our emotions and processing harmful memories)
  • Remembrance and Mourning by retelling the experience, reshaping our narrative, and allowing ourselves to observe and see what we survived/experienced
  • High exposure interventions such as: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Exposure Therapy, and Art Therapy
  • The risk of retraumatization when working through recovery without the aid of a mental health professional
  • Integration and Reconnection by coming back into ourselves feeling whole again, understanding/accepting how the story of our trauma integrates into the story of our lives, and reconnecting to the world around us

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    If you or anyone you know is suffering through trauma contact the National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or online for 24/7 support. (This podcast is not a replacement for psychotherapy or mental health care. You can obtain a referral for mental health care provider from your primary care physician, or search on Psychology Today’s Find a Therapist directory)

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    Initiated SurvivorBy Kelsey Harper
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