The term "trauma" originates from a Greek word meaning "wound." A traumatic experience can affect a person on multiple levels: physical, emotional, psychological, relational, and spiritual.
Trauma occurs physically when a significant force impacts the body, exceeding its protective barriers, such as skin and bone. In these situations, the expertise of medical professionals is invaluable, as they support the body’s remarkable healing process. This reliance on both our bodies and the care of professionals during recovery highlights the resilience of the human spirit.
Psychological trauma can be viewed as a deeply emotional experience that, like a physical injury, may leave lasting impressions.
It can disrupt a person's biological, psychological, and social balance to such an extent that the memory of one specific event can
overshadow and ruin all other experiences, diminishing the appreciation of the present moment. One author refers to this as
“the tyranny of the past.” Trauma is primarily what happens within someone because of the complex or hurtful events that befall them;
it is not the events themselves. Trauma is not what happens to you but what happens inside you.
Trauma is a psychological injury that resides in the nervous system, mind, and body, enduring long after the initial incidents and can be triggered at any moment. How we cope with our emotional wounds significantly influences our behaviour, shapes our social habits, and informs our perspective on the world. While trauma can significantly impact how we navigate the world and manage stress; however, gaining an understanding empowers us to begin a journey of healing. This healing journey is not a sprint, but a process that takes time. However, every step forward is filled with new hope and insight. Embracing this knowledge enables us to rediscover our inner strength and resilience, paving the way for a brighter, more fulfilling future!
1. Collective wounds: When an entire society bleeds Read more
2. Crisis or trauma? Knowing the difference could change everything Read more
3. Shattered to Rising: The Journey from Trauma to Healing. Read more
4. The collapse of safety: trauma’s assault on our worldview. Understanding how trauma reshapes the map of reality. Read more
5. What was broken can be rebuilt. Read more
Collective wounds: When an entire society bleeds
I remember a man coming from a small town who visited my consulting rooms in 1996. He told me that he was shot three times in front of his shop in the town where he lived. The people of the town went out of their way to help and encourage him and his close family. For weeks, they brought them food, took the children to school, phoned them, and visited them, always bringing them flowers.
Ten years later, I saw the same man when he revisited my rooms.
He was shot again.
Again, it happened in front of his shop.
Again, he had to take more than one shot.
But his time there was no flowers or food. Only his close friends and family visited him. What was the reason?
During the past ten years, since he was last shot, a big part of the town’s inhabitants experienced trauma. This man was no longer the exception. Many people in the town were murdered, robbed, or traumatized, and of their other families were affected by crime. Crime was no longer an exception. It became the rule in South Africa. This is the norm to which our society has been exposed since 1994.
South Africa's crime index score for 2023-2025 is approximately 75.4, making it the fifth most dangerous country in the world and the highest in Africa. It ranks in the bottom 20 out of 163 countries for societal safety and security, just ahead of Ukraine. The murder rate in South Africa is among the highest globally, ranking fourth overall. South Africa is rated as the 5th most unsafe travel destination worldwide, right behind Afghanistan. Furthermore, Pretoria is listed as one of the most dangerous cities in the world.
Although the statistics are damning, they do not fully reflect the suffering that occurs. The victim's family and friends also endure this pain, experiencing their own distress. For instance, rape has a devastating impact not only on the victim but also on their spouse or parents, who may endure similar anguish, if not more. A nation that has been scarred by violence, oppression, or disaster cannot simply "move on." Traumas reshape memory, identity, and hope. Schools, families, and workplaces all bear the echoes of unhealed trauma. Collective trauma manifests in how communities interact, in the unspoken silence, in the lingering suspicion between neighbors, and in the way younger generations inherit fears they never experienced firsthand.
Crime in South Africa not only instills fear about the present but also erodes our sense of safety and stability. Our entire society grapples with the uncertainty of the future. This situation creates a collective nervous system that remains perpetually on alert, with anxiety, grief, and resilience coexisting alongside one another. People structure their lives around safety, building high walls, installing alarms, and avoiding certain streets at night. They lock their doors and double-check their security systems. As a result, they often sleep lightly or lie awake, listening for sounds that may not exist, and live with a nervous system that never fully relaxes. Adults experience a constant presence of stress hormones in their bodies, which can lead to anxiety, depression, and even physical illness. Children grow up with alarm systems, and for their safety, they cannot ride bicycles outside their homes in the streets. The great impact lies within: mistrust between people, a shrinking sense of community, and the slow erosion of joy.
There is a story about a mouse who peered through a hole in the wall as the farmer and his wife opened a parcel. "What’s inside the container?" the mouse wondered. Suddenly, he became very alarmed when he realized that it was a mousetrap! This discovery upset him so much that he rushed around the farm warning everyone about the trap.
“There’s a mousetrap in the house! There’s a mousetrap in the house!” he shouted to the rooster. The rooster cocked his head and replied, “Mr. Mouse, while this may concern you, it won’t affect me at all. I am not worried about it.”
Feeling dejected because the rooster showed no concern, the mouse ran to the pig and exclaimed, “There’s a mousetrap in the house! There’s a mousetrap in the house!” The pig, sympathetic to the mouse’s plight, clicked his tongue and replied, “I’m so sorry to hear that, Mr. Mouse, but there’s nothing more I can do for you except to pray for your safety.”
The mouse was still unhappy, so he went to the cow to tell her about the mousetrap. “There’s a mousetrap in the house! There’s a mousetrap in the house!” he exclaimed. The cow replied, “Mr. Mouse, I feel sorry for you, but this doesn’t affect me.” Feeling rejected and hurt; the mouse returned to the farmer's house to deal with the trap on his own.
At midnight, a loud bang echoed through the house, resembling the sound of a mousetrap that had caught its prey. The farmer's wife hurried to the mousetrap to check if it had caught a mouse. In the darkness, she did not realize that it was actually a snake whose tail was trapped in the device. The snake bit the farmer's wife. The farmer quickly rushed her to the hospital, where doctors tried to save her. When they took her home, she still had a fever. The neighbours advised the farmer that fresh chicken soup could help reduce her fever. The farmer took his little axe and killed the rooster. Despite the soup, the woman's fever rose sharply as friends and neighbours gathered around her bed. To give them food, the farmer had to slaughter the pig. Sadly, the farmer's wife passed away two days later. People travelled from near and far to attend the funeral, and in the end, the farmer had to slaughter the cow as well to provide everybody with food.
The mouse watched everything through the hole in the wall, feeling sad. This story illustrates that when one of us is threatened, it impacts all of us; the consequences affect everyone. The reality is that our relationships with others can hurt us and cause us to suffer. While trauma can leave lasting scars on a community, healing has the power to redefine it. We heal not only through our own efforts but also through the support of others. When a member of our community is hurt, it becomes the responsibility of the other members to offer care and support. To break the cycle of suffering, we must actively seek ways to reach those in pain and help them find healing.1 Corinthians 12:26, “If one part of the body suffers, every part suffers with it.” We are all interconnected in life, and it is essential that we help, uplift, and encourage one another on our journeys.
When we unite, we can create safe spaces filled with care. Our lives are connected for a purpose. While healing does not erase the trauma we have experienced, it can transform that trauma into wisdom and compassion. Just as trauma can spread throughout society, so too can God's healing love. Each act of compassion creates a ripple effect of grace. When the church reaches out with open hands, prayers, and support, trauma can find hope. When neighbours support one another, the body of Christ becomes visible in the world. Trauma may shape a nation, but Christ has the power to transform it. Scars may remain, but in God's hands, they become stories of survival, resurrection, and new life. From the ashes, resilience is born.
Crisis or trauma? Knowing the difference could change everything
While many people casually refer to any upsetting experience as "trauma," it is important to distinguish between trauma and a crisis. A crisis can include everyday events, such as losing your ID or minor accidents like a car scraping a lamppost. In contrast, trauma specifically arises from situations where individuals feel completely powerless and face significant danger. These events often involve potential threats to life or serious injury and are typically extraordinary experiences, not part of our regular life journey.
In our everyday chats, we frequently talk about "trauma" when sharing tough experiences. Events such as job loss or losing a loved one can be really challenging, but they're part of the shared human journey that many of us face. Embracing these moments can lead to growth and connection. Conversely, experiencing multiple losses at once—such as losing several loved ones in an accident or disaster—truly represents significant trauma. These intense situations can feel overwhelming, underscoring how profoundly impactful certain life experiences can be. Recognizing this distinction allows us to approach such moments with greater compassion and understanding.
Shattered to Rising: The Journey from Trauma to Healing
The collapse of safety: trauma’s assault on our worldview. Understanding how trauma reshapes the map of reality
After surviving a violent car accident at age 26, Lerato’s worldview shifted dramatically. Before the trauma, she described herself as “carefree and trusting.” Afterward, she began to see the world as unsafe. Every outing felt dangerous – loud noises triggered panic, driving became unbearable, and she withdrew from friends. In her words, “I felt like the world had betrayed me. Safety was an illusion.”
We all live with an inner map of the world – a mental framework that guides our perception of what’s safe, who can be trusted, and so on. Trauma shatters that map. Safety becomes uncertainty.
Trauma can often stem from experiences of betrayal, neglect, or violence, which can dramatically shift how we perceive the world around us. Before facing trauma, many individuals view life through a lens of safety and security. However, severe trauma can reshape that perspective, infusing it with feelings of pain, fear, and doubt. Understandably, the world might seem overwhelming and uncertain after such experiences.
For many, a stranger on the street is just another person trying to enjoy life, but for someone who has been traumatized, that same person might trigger feelings of anxiety and danger. It’s a journey from feeling safe and confident to grappling with fear and mistrust. Children who experience abuse may hold onto the belief that protection is nonexistent, leading to a sense of instability in their world.
But it's essential to remember that healing is possible, and with support, we can work toward regaining trust and a sense of safety, allowing us to embrace the world with renewed hope and optimism. Each step toward healing is a step toward rediscovering the joy and security we all deserve. `
During therapy, Lerato worked through her trauma with gradual exposure, grounding techniques, and processing the memory in a safe space over time; her maps of reality expanded again. Shy learned that although danger exists, not every situation equals a threat.
Healing from trauma is a journey that involves recognizing and transforming negative automatic thoughts. An excellent metaphor for this process is Plato's allegory of the cave. In this story, imagine a fire illuminating shadows on a cave wall, while people are chained, unaware of the vibrant reality just outside. This symbolizes how we can sometimes be trapped in our perceptions, mistaking them for the whole truth. By turning toward the exit and stepping into the light, individuals can discover a richer, more fulfilling world that awaits them. Embracing this path of self-awareness and growth can lead to a brighter and more hopeful future.
Plato’s allegory of the cave beautifully illustrates the transformative journey we all experience when gaining new insights about ourselves and the world around us! This enlightening process unfolds gently over time; it's not instant, and that’s perfectly okay. Plato illustrates how the released prisoners initially cling to their old beliefs, finding it challenging to adopt a new perspective. Even when they finally step out of the cave, adjusting to this new reality can feel daunting. After all, their previous environment, despite being limiting, felt safe and familiar.
For Lerato, trust slowly returned – first in small steps, such as short car rides, then through reconnecting socially.
It’s essential to recognize that introducing someone to this new world too rapidly can be overwhelming. This journey toward healing and growth is gradual, requiring kindness, patience, and considerable self-compassion. As individuals begin to adjust to the wonders beyond the cave, they might start by seeing mere shadows, then reflections in the water, and through this process, they’ll eventually discover the magnificent reality of the objects around them.
Ultimately, the goal is to gaze directly at the sun, appreciating its brilliance without turning back to the misleading reflections. With therapy and nurturing connections, individuals can transform their lives to focus on safety, trust, and purpose. Many survivors cultivate a realistic and compassionate outlook on life, taking small, steady steps to rebuild trust. Surrounded by caring friendships and healthy boundaries, they discover that kindness is a part of the world. Supporting families plays a vital role in this empowering journey, and together, we can create a positive path forward!
Lerato still carries the memory of the trauma, but it no longer defines her worldview. She describes her healing as “finding balance again – knowing the world holds both danger and safety, but I get to choose how I live in it.”
Spiritual practices and storytelling empower survivors to turn their trauma into a powerful story of resilience and growth. While trauma may alter our perspective on the world, the h
ealing journey enables us to rebuild it with greater compassion, courage, and wisdom. Survivors often gain a beautifully authentic view of human suffering. Although our perspective may shift from what it once was, it can evolve into something more profound and stronger, like Lerato’s, a true testament to the incredible strength of the human spirit. Embracing this journey opens doors to hope and understanding!
What was broken can be rebuilt
Trauma rewires your brain, shifting it into survival mode during terrifying experiences. If trauma is severe or prolonged, the brain can become stuck in this mode.
1. Amygdala: Remains on high alert, causing feelings of jumpiness and insecurity, even without real danger.
2. Prefrontal Cortex: Less effective, leading to difficulty in concentration, decision-making, and self-calming.
3. Hippocampus: Struggles to store memories, resulting in flashbacks or nightmares, along with sleep issues, increased anxiety, forgetfulness, and overreacting to minor triggers.
Trauma can alter the brain, but healing can transform it too. Neuroplasticity means your brain isn't permanently 'stuck'; with the proper support, therapy, and coping strategies, it can shift toward peace and resilience.
I support
individuals feeling stuck in trauma, grief, or burnout to find hope, balance, and joy. My gentle, practical approach fosters a sense of safety and understanding, essential for healing.