Many people experience trauma, but few — and that includes medical professionals — understand the larger impact it can have on their lives and the lives of others.

Ryan Van Wyk, a psychologist at Park Nicollet Melrose Center, wants to change that. He believes that past trauma lies at the root of many common mental health and addiction issues, and if more people understood that fact and worked to heal trauma, many could live happier, healthier lives.

“My graduate school was great,” Van Wyk said, “but the program gave me very little awareness and understanding of trauma.” Van Wyk completed his post-doctoral work at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, where he was assigned to the women’s treatment unit: “When I first got there, someone told me, ‘You can expect that 75 percent of the women you’re working with will have had a significant history of trauma.’ I realized that even though I had completed a doctor of psychology degree, I wasn’t well prepared to understand trauma and how people heal from it. And I realized I was not alone.”

[For more of this story, written by Andy Steiner, go to https://www.minnpost.com/menta...w-past-experiences-s]