Trauma means 'wound'

All wounds, regardless of their size, deserve time and attention.  This is the sentiment of Dr Jamie Marich who delivered a Tedx talk about the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on a person's health and wellbeing.

It is widely accepted that Adverse Childhood Experiences can cause significant physical health complications (such as heart disease and cancer), and mental health issues (such as Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and addictions).

So how can we help someone who has experienced Adverse Childhood Experiences?  Dr Marich uses the metaphor of a wound (because the word trauma originates from the word 'wound'):  For true healing to happen, it must take include a process that takes place from inside out.   As Dr Marich points out, 'wounds need to come into the light, and a proper course of treatment can help with that process'. 

Proper treatment includes experiences with and without professionals, and, according to Dr Marich, an important component of this is having your experiences validated by someone.  I wholeheartedly agree with Dr Marich.  There are too many attempts to jump in and 'fix' people without an attempt to understand and validate that person's experiences.  And to validate someone is the opposite of pathologising or labelling someone. 

Let me know what you think of this talk.

​Chris Warren-Dickins LLB MA LPC
Psychotherapist specializing in anxiety, depression, relationship, and men’s therapy. 
Chris also offers EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy). 
www.exploretransform.com
#anxiety #depression #conflict  #emdr