Defining “trauma-informed.”
The term “trauma-informed” has become somewhat ubiquitous these days. Nearly every nonprofit uses the term when describing who they are and how their programs are formed. Yet there is no governing standard – in reality, the same term can encompass everything from a physician who has studied the neural effects of concussions to someone who has taken a two-hour, free seminar online about the effects of violence in the home.
It is good that the general public is becoming more aware of and comfortable with the concept of trauma and that there can be long-term effects on a person who has experienced intense situations. But it can also be dangerous placing trauma-care in the hands of nonprofessionals and as an organization assuming that anyone who has experienced a specific event necessarily has been traumatized. So without a standard of what “trauma” means and how to walk with someone who has undergone trauma, without licensed or awarded professionals on staff who understand the scientific research around trauma, it can be tricky to know exactly what someone means when they say “We are trauma-informed.”
So we wanted to be very clear about the language we use.
We often say “trauma-informed” and “healing-centered” in the same breath - but we prefer the term “healing-centered.”
Let’s break that down.
We mean that we recognize there are experiences in which a person feels as if they have no control, no agency, and no resources to adequately cope with the threat in front of them – physical or psychological. We mean that we recognize there are coping strategies that people use that have helped them survive in dangerous and horrific situations that no longer serve them in an environment of safety and calm. We mean that we whole-heartedly believe that the experience of trauma or potentially traumatic events does not mean a life destined to remain in survival-mode.
healing-centered; an approach of naming and identifying the ways in which past experiences have affected us and coming up with strategies to help us move forward in healthy, thriving ways.
We believe in post-traumatic growth and healing.
We also believe that not everyone who has been trafficked has trauma but that does not exclude them from resiliency, growth, or healing.
That sounds all well and good, but how does that practically play out?
We’ve spoken a lot about our jobs courses as of late. Let’s give some greater context around it.
People who have had to live in survival mode often find it difficult to think forward, to imagine a future different from their past or their current reality. We’ve spoken before about how some women, upon first entering our program, are unable to answer the question, “What’s your dream?”
This shows up in their bra selling businesses, too. Having had to live hand-to-mouth for years, sometimes decades, it can be a very difficult process to shift from that scarcity mentality to one of “I am safe. I have this money, and I have the ability to make more money. I can save for the future.”
It’s not uncommon for women first starting out to blow their profits on seemingly unnecessary or frivolous items because they actually have cash in hand, and their past has shown there’s no point in saving for a future that seems tenuous at best. (Lest it sounds as if we are passing judgment on their purchases, we mean copious amounts of alcohol, expensive meals at restaurants, or trips to the beach instead of food for the household, needed clothing for self or children, rent, etc.)
We have also seen women opt for selling bras in a wholesale fashion, making some quick and easy money by receiving their inventory and selling the entire box to another person for a fraction of the amount they could make if they were to sell it piece by piece in the traditional way. While neither is immoral nor “wrong”, neither are they particularly healing-centered or forward focused.
These scenarios kept occurring, and we at Free The Girls considered the issue to be one of two things. Either the women needed help with financial literacy and understanding budgeting and savings OR they were still very much operating out of a survival (or possible trauma) response and the only way they felt secure was to take the first chance they got at ensuring they would have money.
So we worked with an expert in business for under-resourced communities in crafting a series of courses that addressed both these issues: practical financial literacy that made sense within their cultural context combined with healing-centered information around finding safety in the present moment and having permission to dream about the future. We contracted translation work from some amazing individuals who took the time to guarantee the language we used was the best option for their context. And in the locations where this program has been implemented, the feedback has been beautiful.
These women have gained confidence in learning that they have the ability to try and fail and try again, that work can be life-giving and creative rather than violent or oppressive, that they are enough right now to be able to thrive without jumping through any hoops. In fact, one woman in El Salvador who has continually struggled with motivation and belief in herself sold enough bras to be able to buy herself a brand new outfit for Christmas – not second-hand but brand new from the store! That may sound trivial – but it’s huge! She found the confidence to sell, to negotiate and barter, to save, and to reward herself for a job well done!
When FTG first began, the world of understanding trauma was still so fresh. But as we learn more, we’ve grown and adapted to the very real needs of the women we serve. And we celebrate each and every woman who passes through our program – whether or not she has done things the way we initially designed the program or not.
We recognize the possible effects of trauma and never blame nor disregard a woman whose healing journey takes a little longer than the others. We also don’t assume that just because a woman has been trafficked that she automatically experiences PTSD. Rather than trying to manage, manipulate, or cajole anyone to doing things “our way,” Free The Girls’ values lead us to ask questions, become curious about one’s behavior and offer alternatives with no strings attached. We then work towards creating resources that speak into the barriers she is still facing, all while continuing to be supportive. This is how Free The Girls shows up as healing-centered. This is how Free The Girls defines trauma-informed and healing-centered.
We have evolved, as we should. We understand that reintegration means more than just a job. We know that getting back on one’s feet can take longer for some than others, that surviving as a survivor is hard, and that the complexities these women face cast long shadows. And we are committed to walking alongside them for however long and for whatever initiatives that entails with compassion and without judgment. And whatever comes next, we are committed to ensuring that we will continue working towards true freedom (as defined by the women themselves!) in a trauma-informed, healing-centered way.