In the dimly lit room of my therapy office, I often find myself traversing through the intricate corridors of trauma with my clients. Each story, a mosaic of pain, resilience, and survival, is a testament to the profound impact trauma has on the human spirit. But beyond the individual narratives lies a truth that is both unsettling and empowering: trauma work is inherently political.
To understand this, we must first acknowledge the pervasive influence of societal structures on our individual lives. Trauma doesn't exist in a vacuum; it is often intertwined with systems of power, oppression, and injustice. The wounds inflicted by forms of discrimination (-ism’s and -phobia’s) are not only personal; they are deeply rooted in the fabric of our society.
As mental health professionals, we cannot afford to overlook the political dimensions of trauma. To do so would be to ignore the broader context in which our clients' suffering exists. We must recognize that trauma is not just about what happened to an individual; it's about the systems and institutions that perpetuate violence and harm. We must also recognize that many of these systems have directly caused harm.
Consider, for instance, the impact of systemic racism on mental health. Black and brown communities are disproportionately affected by trauma due to centuries of oppression, discrimination, and violence. From slavery to Jim Crow laws to mass incarceration, the legacy of racism casts a long shadow over the lives of people of color. As therapists, we cannot divorce our work from the structural inequalities that shape our clients' experiences.
To do so only further isolates and places the blame on our clients when the symptoms they experience are a normal response to an unhealthy system.
Let us remember…
Fear is rational when what we fear has happened.
Anxiety is understandable when we’ve never felt safe.
Depression is a protective response when systems are rigged against us.
We need to remember this because when we inadvertently place the blame solely on our client’s psyche, we are further oppressing them by telling them they are “broken”. While often unintended and unconscious, it can be easy to gaslight people who have endured trauma at the hands of harmful systems. Treatment trauma is real and it is heartbreaking.
Furthermore, trauma work inherently challenges the status quo by giving voice to the marginalized and oppressed. It disrupts the narrative of powerlessness and victimhood perpetuated by those in positions of authority. Through therapy, individuals can reclaim their agency and challenge the systems that have silenced them. Our job is to support them and be the best allies we can be, which extends outside of the therapy room and into the community including politics.
Most importantly, trauma work is political because it demands social change. As therapists, we bear witness to the consequences of injustice and inequality on a daily basis. We see the human toll of poverty, violence, and discrimination. And we cannot in good conscience remain silent. I, in good conscience, cannot remain silent. We can only heal trauma to some degree when we are still exposed to the unevolved people or systems that hurt us.
Recently, I was thinking about the mental health industrial complex, and it dawned on me…
My job is meaningful. It’s beautifully rich. It’s immensely rewarding. It’s hard.
My job isn’t hard because of my amazingly committed clients.
My job isn’t hard because of the logistics.
My job is hard because we live in a world that doesn’t support healing.
My job is hard because the systems that were supposed to protect my clients did the opposite.
My job is hard because every day we face systems that are designed to keep people oppressed.
When the going gets tough, I remind myself that if I, as a white cis-hetero woman, am feeling the intensity of these systems, then I can only begin to imagine how my clients with multiple marginalized identities are feeling
It is hard work. AND it’s worth it. I would choose this path of allyship over again.
If you take anything away from this post, please remember, to truly address trauma, we must confront its roots in systemic injustice and work towards a more equitable and just society. This means advocating for policies that promote social justice, challenging oppressive institutions including the mental health industrial complex, speaking up when we see harm, and amplifying the voices of those who have been marginalized. When the systems change to honor the humanity of those with marginalized identities this is when deeper layers of healing will happen for us all.
In the end, trauma work is not just about healing individual wounds; it's about transforming the world we live in. It's about creating a society where all people can thrive, free from the shackles of oppression and violence. And that is why trauma work IS inherently political.