Elements of Our Approach
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Understanding basic human/psychological needs All people
share a number of fundamental psychological needs. They need to feel secure.
They need to feel good about themselves. They need to feel effective (to be
able to protect themselves from danger and influence important events in
their lives). They need connection to other people, including the ability to
trust. They need to have some form of understanding of the world and of their
own place in it. Trauma frustrates these needs. Traumatized individuals and
groups often try to fulfill these needs in ways that are destructive, which
harm other people and even themselves. Finding constructive ways to fulfill
basic needs is important for healing. Understanding the origins of group violence How can
groups of people engage in genocide or mass killing? Understanding how such
horrible actions come about, understanding their roots, can contribute to
healing. Understanding does not mean acceptance of such violence. But it may
make it more possible to move on from one's experience of victimization. It
may make it possible to accept responsibility as a member of a group that has
perpetrated such violence, to begin to forgive oneself and to open to
reconciliation with victims. Preventing group violence Healing from the traumatic effects of mass
violence requires that people know as much as possible about what happened.
Information helps people understand how terrible events could have happened.
That includes information about how genocide comes about in general and the
events and feelings leading up to the genocide in Rwanda. Through this understanding, people gain a
sense of hope that if the origins of mass violence can be understood, action
can be taken to prevent the recurrence of violence. Understanding provides direction and focus
to prevention efforts, pointing toward concrete steps that can be taken by
policymakers, community workers, and others to create positive relations
between groups. Understanding psychological trauma and creating paths to healing Survivors
of traumatic life experiences often find it helpful to know that their
responses are not unusual. It can help to know that others may have similar
thoughts and feelings and behave in similar ways after a traumatic loss.
There are also differences in how people respond, and in how one person
responds over time. People can benefit from guidance toward healing. What one
person or group needs may differ from another's needs, and what is useful
today may be different from what is useful tomorrow. However, many people
find acknowledgment from and connection with others, information about
trauma, and hope to be essential elements of healing. Sudden, Traumatic Loss The sudden or unexpected loss of loved ones
can be shocking or traumatic. This is
especially true if their death is was violent and was caused intentionally,
as was the case in the genocide in Rwanda.
Survivors of such losses may experience both problems and symptoms
related to trauma and problems related to bereavement, or the death of a
loved one. When a loved one dies suddenly
and in a shocking way, the survivors often find the mourning process
complicated or unnatural. In such
cases, survivors will need to recover from both trauma and loss. While the symptoms overlap, they are not
entirely the same. Retraumatization When events awaken traumatic memories, old
psychological wounds can be re-opened and cause retraumatization. Unlike
normal memories, people do not usually have control over traumatic
memories. They may appear during
wakefulness as a flashback or during sleep as a nightmare. The return of traumatic memories can result
in renewed trauma symptoms. These
symptoms are a normal response. In
working with traumatic memories, it can greatly help survivors to have choice
and control over their exposure to reminders of traumatic events and the ways
in which they discuss their memories. The same things that help people manage
and process primary trauma can be helpful in managing and processing
retraumatization. Vicarious traumatization Helpers who have been traumatized have
special sensitivities as trauma workers. They may be more attuned to the
needs and vulnerabilities of those they serve. Their own traumatic
experiences can also be reawakened through their work. Wounded healers need
additional support in order to work effectively and to protect them from
retraumatization. Our training includes attention to vicarious traumatization
among wounded healers. |
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Tel:
(860) 644-2541 Fax:
(860) 644-6891 The
country code for the U.S. is 01. |
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Trauma Research, Education, and Training Institute,
Inc. 22 Morgan Farms Drive South Windsor, CT 06074 |
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