Trauma: Misunderstandings and Mistreatment

There are so many individuals suffering from the effects of trauma. Yet, no matter how much we know about trauma, very little of the latest scientific advances have been implemented in clinical care.

• What is trauma?

• What constitutes trauma?

• Can a situation or event be considered trauma by one, and not regarded as such by another? If so, why? What does that mean? And might that have something to do with how we operationalize trauma, how we understand it, and how we address it?

How effective are our current trauma treatments? What types of outcomes do we see? And how satisfying are they?

Trauma and its effects thereof may be one of the best examples of conditions in mental health, particularly in medicine, where understanding it and addressing it just at the level of our Normal Blueprint doesn’t cut it. Doing so has been and will remain a form of symptomatic management, for which we could not expect anything beyond some symptom alleviation if any. Healing and recovery, therefore, remains out of reach.

Here is how we understand trauma using just the perspective of our Normal Blueprint:

1. Some of us have genes that make us more vulnerable to trauma or to a specific type of trauma

2. We have a series of experiences that may be seen as traumatic, which, in turn, increases the likelihood of us experiencing trauma, which then increases the possibility of experiencing additional trauma, making it harder for us to recover

3. We are in an environment that makes our trauma more difficult to heal from. This may be because we do not feel safe in the environment, which keeps our traumatic memories alive

Understanding trauma from this perspective is a start, but only a start. If we stay there, then we are left with a limited understanding of trauma. This also means we participate in treatment modalities or interventions that are limited, and at times, counterproductive.

It makes sense for us to look at the latest strategies for treating something so common and so important. For this, we also ought to look at how to understand it best.

On Friday, Dec 11, 2020, from 9am-5pm, we will be addressing just that. We will be addressing the different myths and taboos about trauma; how they have been hindering our interventions’ effectiveness, and how we can address them with the highest level of sensitivity possible to then help cease suffering for the largest possible number of individuals.

If you are seeking ways to help your patients or clients, or your loved ones, or yourself, as a clinician, heal from trauma, including from vicarious trauma, please join us and let us enhance how we make a difference together.

We will see you then,
Karen and Mardoche

About the Authors:

Karen Dubin-McKnight, PhD, LCSW, is a Columbia-trained Social Worker with wide clinical, teaching, and supervision experience. She also has a background in management, mentorship, and leadership that spans almost 20 years. Her added passion is in advocacy, coaching, public relations, and mediation. Her goal is to ensure that social workers and women feel empowered and have a voice “at the table.” She has previously held Executive level positions, and two other directorships in different organizations. She is currently Adjunct Faculty at Columbia University School of Social Work and Adelphi University School of Social Work. She also maintains a private practice, working with individuals who have experienced loss and trauma, and also provides clinical and management supervision.

Mardoche Sidor, MD is a Harvard-trained Quadruple Board Certified Psychiatrist, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University, School of Physicians and Surgeons. He is trained in and taught all the major psychotherapeutic modalities, including and not limiting to CBT, DBT, Family Systems,  and Psychodynamic Psychotherapy. He is also the author of 3 books including Journey to Empowerment; Discovering Your Worth; and The Power of Faith. Dr. Sidor has worked both as a primary care physician and as Medical director in three different settings, including as Chief Medical Officer of Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services (CASES). He is the Founder and CEO of the SWEET Institute.