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What is trauma? Trauma is an emotional or physical response to an event or a set of circumstances that is deeply upsetting. It makes a person feel helpless, frightened, and overwhelmed, leaving lasting negative effects on their mental and physical well-being. (American Psychological Association) It isn’t too difficult to look up a definition of trauma, or to find symptoms listed online. You can easily look up the different types of trauma. However, when you encounter someon

Curiosity Before Conclusions: Understanding the Hidden Effects of Trauma One of the greatest lessons I have learned while walking alongside victims of abuse is this: Many of the behaviors that seem confusing start to make sense once you understand trauma. Without that understanding, it is easy to misinterpret what we see. We may conclude that a victim is bitter, unforgiving, dramatic, manipulative, or simply unwilling to move forward. But often the conclusions we came to ab

In the final part of this series shared by a survivor of Child Sexual Abuse, we look at the lasting and life-changing effects this abuse has on a survivor. The reality is that this ugliness that is done in secret has lifelong effects on the children who experienced it. Miss the previous posts? Read Part 1 Read Part 2 Read Part 3 This article discusses sensitive and potentially distressing topics related to sexual abuse of a child. It may be triggering or unsettling for some r