Helping With Collective
Trauma

Events such as a pandemics, natural catastrophe or war remind us of our collective dimension. We are individuals, with our individual experience and memory, and we are also part of a greater whole, or a system: family, community, organization, country, world: a collective.

Collective Trauma leads to Distress and depression

In those moments of intense societal stress our intergenerational or collective traumas are triggered. The sound of sirens, images of displaced populations, hunger, suffering mothers and children, loosing one’s home, running for one’s life, suffering from propaganda and dictators are examples of triggers “remembered” in unexpected and sometimes overwhelming ways. They do not necessarily belong to our own life’s experience, and yet they create distress, depression, bodily symptoms and often, a sense of doom and helplessness.

Collective Trauma leads to Distress and depression

These symptoms, those triggered memories belonging to previous generations, community or country – are opportunities for healing. As they enter our consciousness, they enable us to release long held pain and stuck energy. They often contain a blueprint for transformation, hope and creativity. As it is true for the processing of individual trauma, they contain the seeds for post-traumatic growth.

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In our EmotionAid organization and community, we are passionate about the healing of collective trauma and its symptoms. We believe our world is desperate for such healing. Our world desperately needs to stop
re-enacting old, obsolete and destructive patterns.

The simple tools of EmotionAid can help each one of us, and together as groups and communities grow and contribute to life affirming behaviours and choices.

Healing Trauma and its symptoms in your community

Let’s discuss together our next step

Collective Trauma Diary

5 Steps Flyers – For Everyone
By
December 29, 2022
EA Flyer 5STEPS English EA Flyer 5STEPS Afrikaans EA Flyer 5STEPS Czech EA Flyer 5STEPS French EA Flyer 5STEPS Georgian EA Flyer 5STEPS German EA Flyer 5STEPS Hebrew EA Flyer 5STEPS Polish EA Flyer 5STEPS Ukraine EA Flyer 5STEPS Italian...
I breathed Zyklon B
By Dr. Cathy Lawi
July 28, 2022
It felt invasive and pervasive. Something deep inside, at the cellular level. The memory of the blue pellets infusing me with a sense of being poisoned and not being able to breathe. The image is paused, like in a bad...
Holocaust Memorial Day 2021: “Be the light in the darkness”
By Dr. Cathy Lawi
July 25, 2022
A Memorial Day is about remembrance. Remember not to forget, Remember to honor, Remember for you and for me. To remember is also to re-member, to become whole again. Individually and collectively. My experience of re-membering is my life journey....