Give Yourself Time [Mandy Davis, TIO]

I started my social work career at a private nonprofit providing TSS with children and adults who had experienced trauma. I am often pulling from these experiences and this skill set as I strive to implement TIC. I think about how TIC is often about taking what we have learned (successes and mistakes) from TSS and applying it to organizations and systems. TIC and TSS inform each other. Instead of focusing on an individual, we are asking how does the organization or system promote or hinder healing? Here are some lessons I learned from survivors that apply to organizations as well:

• Healing takes time—advocate for time.
• Validation and shared experience are healing and sustaining.
• Learning to regulate your body and mind is empowering.
• Widening the lens of how we see ourselves (more than the trauma experienced) is important.
• Share what you have to offer before asking “why are you here.”
• Starting, stopping, moving forward, and moving backward are all part of healing.
• Acknowledge and work to heal the harm of your system.
• Relationship is important and so are skills.
• Find ways to evaluate change—recognize progress.
• Be flexible. What and how people heal is as dynamic as people themselves.

It can be hard for systems to figure out how to be flexible, predictable, and equitable, which is why we need to advocate for the healing that survivors ask for. It is important to remember that healing happens—and happens in so many beautiful and messy ways. I am grateful for the healing stories in these blogs. 
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