Trauma Recovery should be Normal: Trauma Recovery Centre

The biggest believed lie within Trauma, is that time heals.

“When I first came to the TRC I was having quite a lot of meltdowns. My sister was really annoying. School was hard and I was usually outside the classroom doing different stuff to the others. I used to need to have people with me to go to the loo. I didn’t have many friends and I found life made me really angry. We did lots of things in therapy and thought about feelings and how I came to live with my mum and dad when I was little. I learnt about how my very clever brain had found ways to stop me feeling sad.” Claire aged 8

As a child you might have experienced sexual abuse, assault, bullying, domestic violence, sexual exploitation or bereavement of a parent and were told that time would heal. We believe that every child and young person should have access to specialised trauma recovery focused therapy to facilitate recovery and to ensure the inevitable trauma symptoms don’t escalate the challenges of day-to-day life.

Our NHS is full of mental health problems that could have been resolved more easily in childhood. Suicide is increasing and trauma is often the undiagnosed root cause. With wrong diagnosis and labels being increasingly accepted, we are sending our young people into mental health routes that are ineffective and placing plasters on wounds that require heart surgery. One out of three adults who struggle with mental health challenges recognise that childhood trauma is at its core and much of the less recognised but equally as damaging Trauma such as emotional neglect runs rampant in society.

We are in a silent international crisis.

The Trauma Recovery Centre believes that full recovery and restoration is possible from Complex Trauma. Our centres operate from a specialist Trauma Recovery Framework and children leave when their symptoms are no longer present or distressing, rather than an allotted time. All therapists and clinical staff undergo trauma training to ensure they are equipped and trained, and parents and carers also have support in a group where they receive emotional support and psychoeducation, learning the neuroscience around trauma, alongside practical tools to help them at home.

Research suggests that most trauma survivors feel worse after verbal or cognitive therapy approaches because it doesn’t address the primary impact of trauma which is held within the subconscious or body. Whilst there are so many enticing ‘quick fixes’ for traumatised people, we know that it takes specialist help to recover. Trauma recovery is not currently part of the qualifying course for any psychologist, counsellor, social worker, paediatrician, doctor, psychiatrist, GP, mental health nurse or coach, and too many people believe they are beyond recovery, because their treatment plan was never targeting the right wounds. At the TRC our specialist Trauma Recovery Framework operates from that awareness.

Most people don’t believe that trauma recovery is possible. But we know it is and have the clinical data to evidence it. Here is another story of a child whose life was transformed:

“I came to the centre for about 2 years and now things are different. At school I am mentoring other children who find things hard. I do still zone out at times, and I can still get cross but its much better because I know what to do to get calm again. I choose to draw or read stories. I know how to relax more and I’m not so stressy. Now I have been feeling so much happier. I have amazing friends and now I can stay and learn in the classroom with the others. I don’t get so angry, and I even get on better with my sister.” John aged 12

Would you support us in helping recovery for the many children, young people and families who are asking for our help to change the lives of children, families, generations and the world around them.

Support the Trauma Recovery Centre