Healing Complex Trauma within our Mind, Body, and Spirit

PTSD awareness is essential for understanding the human spirit and soul hunger for healing the wounds of complex trauma and disaster. Our experience of complex trauma and suffering is imprinted on our mind, body, and spiritual consciousness. The increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters and person-made trauma have a profound impact on our daily lives as Americans.

Globally, the stench of death in hospitals from disease, pandemic viruses, and tent cities full of asylum seekers and refugees, lie motionless on the battlefield of war and other critical incidents. Trauma and disaster affect not only persons closest to the epicenter but also family members, friends, and the community of trauma and disaster survivors. First, it is essential to be mindful that we are all having a normal reaction to abnormal events. Second, the good news is that we can transform our trauma fatigue into trauma resiliency.

For over 30 years, I have been at the epicenter of treating, researching, and training other professionals about civilian and military trauma. As professionals, on PTSD awareness day, we are committed to therapeutic interventions to help others heal from their complex trauma, loss, and grief, partnering with others offering integrative health approaches for healing the mind, body, and spirit of people we serve. Two current books that I have published in 2021 through the American Counseling Association offers professional resources and self-care activities that address the complex trauma needs of self and others we serve: Clinical Military Counseling: Guidelines for Practice and Counseling During Phases of a Pandemic Virus. Overall, it is of paramount importance that we cultivate, recruit, and train-up a new generation of professional mental health warriors to handle the natural and person-made disasters that hinder our mind, body, and spiritual growth.