Lived Experiences

Acknowledging the many types of lived experiences in people’s lives and their impact is a necessary step to healing trauma. 

It is important to remember that people’s lived experiences and their impact varies from person to person.  Not all people who experience the same event respond in the same ways.

Click on the icons below to read an explanation of people’s different lived experiences that may be traumatic.

Take a few minutes now to think about the types of lived experiences you or your family members, friends, co-workers, community members, clients, or patients experience that may be traumatic. Click here to download an exercise on different types of lived experiences that may be traumatic.

The following questions may be useful to reflect on as you read the following descriptions of different forms of lived experiences that may be traumatic:

1. What types of lived experiences/trauma do you see with the people you work with? 

2. Are any of the types of lived experiences/trauma surprising?

3. Are there other types or causes of lived experiences/trauma that you would add?

Module Purpose | Grounding Intentions | Rock in Your Shoe | What is Trauma? | Vicarious or Secondary Trauma | Trauma and the Brain and Body | Lived Experiences | Responses to Carrying Trauma | Rock in Your Shoe Reflection | Shifting Our Perspectives | Creating Safety and Well-Being | Supporting Healing