The dust had barely begun to settle from the Aurora tragedy when Americans were faced with yet another senseless killing. As we continue to hold space in our hearts and offer our support for the victims of the movie theatre shooting here in Colorado, another tragedy has multiplied the pain. We give our attention to the victims of the Sikh Temple shooting that occurred on August 5th in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.
There is no question that these repeated acts of violence are deeply rattling our sense of humanity and our perception of what is a “safe place.” However we at the Somatic Experiencing® Trauma Institute continue to hope that people are not left alone in their struggles. We want the world to know that although trauma touches all of our lives, human beings are resilient. We can ride through these times with the support of others— and with the confidence that our bodies carry the innate wisdom to cope and to heal.
We want to assure all the people affected by these tragedies that much of what they are no doubt feeling and experiencing after a tragedy like this is normal, healthy, and expected. It is important to focus on our own innate ability to heal and to aid our bodies and minds through the inevitable trauma response we will encounter. As a service to all communities hit by these acts of violence we asked Joshua Sylvae, MA, SEP, to share simple steps that can aid each one of us in these very confusing times:
Click to view this 5-minute video –
We hope that this video will be of some assistance, particularly for those most affected by this latest event, in regaining feelings of basic safety and resiliency. We believe in the strength, healing capacity, and openness that we all are capable of holding.
In Service,
Laura
About the author: Laura Piché has been an employee for the Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute for over five years and currently serves as the media project manager. Laura has completed the beginning and intermediate levels of the SE® training and is the coordinator for the Colorado SE trainings. She is currently working on her master's degree in counseling psychology from Regis University.
About the video: Since becoming an SE practitioner in 2006 Joshua Sylvae has traveled extensively to help hundreds of professionals learn the SE model and integrate it into their own work. His private practice integrates traditional psychotherapeutic principles and other complementary approaches into his body-centered framework.