The most important step in trauma work

Lots of folks make this all-too-common mistake when working with trauma.

They jump to the trauma, before making sure they have all the "safety equipment" in place to make it through to the other side.

Mistake. Going straight for the trauma is not the right tact.

Before you jump into processing any trauma memories – you have to resource yourself. Resourcing is step number one. As the old saying goes, "Safety First."

_So... what exactly is a Resource?_

Well... there's lots of different kinds of resources. Here's some of the most important ones:

A safe place
A nurturing figure
A protective figure
A wise figure

So... the next time you are stressed, imagine yourself
in your safe place
surrounded by your support team

Someone who loves you
protects you or
guides you down the right path

Feel them all round you.
Soak it in.
What do you see? Hear? Feel?

That's getting yourself "resourced" – supported and prepared for the journey ahead.

Resourcing is an incredibly important step in any person's trauma healing journey. Resources help remind us that we can make it through, this moment, and then the next.

That regardless of what happened,
we can still breathe,
another breath.
And another.

And that we are never alone.

[Hat-tip to Laurel Parnell & Attachment Focused EMDR for the list of resources.]

Photo credit: Albert Wong