Some days, helping survivors will confront parts of you that you have not healed yet.
Dear Colleague,
Working with survivors often surfaces your own unprocessed wounds.
Even the most seasoned provider can feel caught off guard by an emotional reaction. These reactions may come from past personal trauma, grief, or even early professional burnout. No one tells you that empathy can reopen what you thought was resolved.
Trauma informed care starts with the provider, not just the client.
If we are not aware of our internal landscape, we risk projecting urgency, judgment, or savior energy into the room. Survivors can feel this, even if it is subtle. The best support comes from grounded presence, not from our need to feel useful.
There is no shame in being affected by this work.
Providers often carry a quiet weight they do not name. We are taught to show up for others but rarely taught to tend to ourselves. Yet healing after abuse, ours or our clients’, is relational, ongoing, and mutual.
You do not have to carry it alone.
Peer connection reduces isolation and reminds us we are not the only ones navigating this emotional terrain. Reflective practice helps metabolize what we carry so we can keep showing up without shutting down. We need community as much as the survivors we serve.
You can start that connection by joining the Monthly Free Peer Support Group at www.catrinalpcs.com/provider.
With appreciation for all you do,
#supportsurvivors #traumainformedcare #providereducation #healingafterabuse #domesticviolenceawareness