It is unfortunate that in this day and age discrimination is still rampant. Whether due to race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or other personal attributes, discrimination is unjust and hurtful. As a trauma counselor, I've often been asked if being discriminated against can be considered trauma. The answer is: absolutely.

Painful experiences are bound to happen in this challenging world we live in. You don’t have to hide from your past or let it control you. There are many ways to process and heal trauma.

In spite of impacting many, childhood sexual abuse remains a highly sensitive subject that often goes undiscussed and untreated. It is an issue that can have a long-term effect on a person’s perception of themselves, the world, and their life choices, as well as shift how they interact with others- in particular their interaction with sex.

How one responds in relationships has a lot to do with the child-parent dynamic. If you continue to repeat the same toxic, dysfunctional patterns in your relationships, and struggle with feeling safe and stable with partners, you may want to explore your childhood relationships with your parents.

When bad things happen, it can take a while to get over the pain and feel safe again. But with these self-help strategies and support, you can speed up your recovery.

For many other people, the consequences of the pandemic have led to significant losses and been nothing short of traumatic.

When people think of “trauma” they may only bring to mind a soldier coming home from war or a frightening, violent experience like a natural disaster, sexual assault or physical assault. The word trauma, in the context of mental health, is actually a much more broad term…

“When you’re in a dark place, you sometimes tend to think you’ve been buried. Perhaps you have been planted. Bloom.”

Being caring and compassionate is one thing, but allowing people to take advantage of you, or overextending yourself to others, is an indication of a more serious problem.