Care That Heals — Trauma-Informed Support for Survivors

Care That Heals — Trauma-Informed Support for Survivors explores why understanding trauma is essential when supporting victims and survivors of human trafficking. This episode highlights how compassionate, survivor-centered, trauma-informed care can restore dignity, build trust, and create pathways to lasting healing. Through expert insight and lived experience, listeners will gain a deeper understanding of how care that truly heals goes beyond rescue—empowering survivors and offering real hope for restoration and renewal.

Special Guest- Christine Check, Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, Licensed Professional Art Therapist, Board-Certified, Registered and Licensed Art Therapist .

Transcript

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You are listening to Project Red Court Chronicles a podcast of the Renee Jones Empowerment Center. welcome to this new episode of Project Red Court Chronicles podcast. Today our podcast is about care that heals trauma informed support for survivors. In this episode, it will explore why understanding trauma is essential when supporting victims and survivors of human trafficking. This episode highlights how compassionate, survivor-centered trauma-informed care can restore dignity, build trust, and create pathways to lasting healing through expert insight. In lived experience, listeners will gain a deeper understanding of how care that truly heals, goes beyond rescue, empowering survivors, strengthening communities, and offering real hope. For restoration and renewal. I would like to welcome our special guest that we have for this podcast. Christine Check. She is a licensed professional clinical counselor, a licensed professional art therapist. She's board certified registered as licensed art therapist. So I'd like to welcome Christine to this edition of Project Red Core Chronicles. Welcome Christine. Thank you for having me. So we're gonna start off by asking you some questions, Christine, for our audience so that they can understand. So my first question to you is, what are some. Common triggers or challenges that survivors may face during recovery. Okay, I'm gonna start with some challenges and then maybe go into more triggers. So thinking of challenges, the first thing that comes to mind is trust. So it's important to note that when a person has been trafficked, they have not just had acts of abuse, but they've had endured. Prolonged interpersonal trauma and often coercion or betrayal, often starting in childhood. And their exploitation often began by people who were supposed to protect them or maybe even offer help to them who ended up being the ones to hurt them in the worst way. They also may have been betrayed by the systems when they've tried to speak up or tried to seek help or speak up in the past. So often survivors come into therapy very guarded. Toward people who want to help, maybe expecting to be hurt. They come in with a deep sense of shame, embarrassment and self blame, vulnerability, expecting to be judged or looked down upon. And they may have learned throughout their lives just at that talking in general makes things worse. They still, they may still be under control or involved in a legal system and fearing consequences. Let's see. Most do when survivors come in, they are still in survival mode. And when you're in survival mode the part is blocks access to the verbal thinking part of the brain. It's very hard to come in and just start doing talk therapy right away. When the body's in survival mode, it does not prioritize the need to process deep emotions. So people come in, they might be constantly on guard. Ready to fight, ready to run, scanning, looking for threats, whatever they can do to protect themselves. So this can take years for the body to come out of constant survival mode. Next, I would say the lack of support or encouragement from anyone outside of the therapeutic setting. Just as survivors are often left, very isolated. Let's see, what else? So when we are told or made to feel a certain way for extended times, like survivors have been, our brains learn to believe the truth. So for example thoughts like, I'm worthless or I don't deserve to be happy, or I can never get, be better, have been, instilled into them. And then lastly, one of the barriers is the more obvious barriers is just access to care, which comes down to the breakdown of many systems like insurance medic, medical transportation. Some people take multiple buses to get there. And not only this, but if people are lucky enough that they have access to health insurance and such, there is a lack of trauma-informed therapists because it's a, since it is a newly emerging field and. Lot therapists want to gain more education, but just the time and the amount of money commitments is for a profession that's undervalued and underpaid is too much. Without proper treatment or without proper training, treatment can actually harm people even more. The therapists don't understand complex trauma, deep relational aspects like, like navigating boundaries. Like pushing people to talk too soon. Reviewing them is they have something wrong with them, not understanding the full picture of the lives they're coming from. So yeah, I think that are some of the challenges. So then, so going to some of the triggers and, triggers can be endless'cause every single person's different, but triggers are basically little reminders that are somehow connected to something. That happened during the trauma. They're often unconscious, so they might not know why they're being triggered. But it bring, when those things are brought up, it takes you back to that moment as if you are still fighting to survive. And when these come up, it could be like a little thing to everybody else, but to that person, it, takes'em to survival mode. And this is just from my observations of working with survivors, what ones that I've noticed have came up a lot, but that people get triggered by being told what to do. Being told how to do things. Yes. And it's power balances in general, which often has happens when they're, in the systems being watched, being looked at, being in crowded spaces being around people in general. Yes. And then some people, or a lot of people, it's being around men. But then other people's being around women, because women, when in the past women were always jealous in the situations they, in, everyone was, but so like feeling trapped? Yes. Anything related to money or comments about the way they look or just hearing about how other people look. Certain smells'cause smell. Smell is one of the most powerful triggers back to the place of the trauma because the system that detects smell is really close to that emotion based part of the brain. Then a few others maybe like comments you should be over this or also just when things are unpredictable, any conflict in general, like if there's conflict among other group members or, any loud voices. Anniversaries of dates and just being around nervous energy. Yes. In general. Yeah. I think, yeah. Yeah. I think that's a good, that's a good description because I know in my work with survivors, I have learned a lot about triggers. Some that you never imagined. Be a trigger. So I do you feel that you, if you are in working with survivors and victims, you really have to pay attention to things that you notice may trigger some people that you work with on a regular basis. Yeah, exactly. And because everybody, every person is so different. Yes. You have to learn those things and yes you do. Thank you for that. That's a lot of good information for our audience to know about what are the challenges and even understanding that. Certain things can be triggers and how it takes that person back to their, moment of something they don't want to remember. So it's very important for our listeners to understand.'cause I know a lot of times we have family members of victims and they're getting help. They're getting better, they're doing everything they need, but the family members don't understand the triggers. Sometimes they're the trigger. Yeah. Or something that they may say. So I'm Thank you for breaking that down for people to understand. So my next question is, why is patience such an important part of healing for survivors? Okay. So when we talk about trauma, especially chronic interpersonal trauma. It actually reshapes our nervous system. So if you can't just come in and expect a survivor to sit down and be ready to talk for traditional talk therapy.'cause their system, I kinda mentioned this earlier, but their system's still scanning for danger. Yeah. And in that case, the body is not prioritizing emotional processing, insider reflection. So if the body does not feel safe. Talking about emotions feels dangerous or overwhelming. So before any of this deeper trauma work can begin, safety has to be established in their nervous system. And the early healing is really about helping survivors learn how to self-regulate through education or skill building. Consistency. And feel just feeling safe in the presence of another human being. So until this therapeutic relationship is established, therapy is going to do very little. But this is a very slow process of building trust and allowing the body to learn that care does not equal harm. And going back to what I mentioned earlier, many survivors historically help has come with strings attached. So of course they're gonna be guarded. Yes. Let's see. Also healing. So healing requires undoing years or even a lifetime of being controlled. Being controlled, when to eat, when to move, when someone can touch your body, when most of your needs were basically ignored. So going slowly is not avoiding the work, but going slowly is part of the work. Yes. The patients allows the nervous system to settle. So that eventually when they feel safe enough, the brain can return to a state that allows for even deeper healing. Yes. Wow, that's really great. Thank you so much for that. That's important for individuals, people to understand. So what does trauma inform support look like from your perspective? Okay. Some of the things that are coming up for me, thinking of safety and some of the ways, I'll just speak a little bit about some of the ways that I focus on these things or, so during the groups that I run, I make sure some of the things that I pay attention to, like that they start and on time. I keep the same structure of the group every time. At the beginning we go around, we say our name and our morning was, we say our name or what we wanna be called. Even if we know every single person in the room, we say our name because we are identifying as more of a worthy being than just a body or a number. Always make sure to lock the door, the therapy group from the inside. So that they know that nobody can just come in and that sense of privacy. Yeah. And also knowing that they are able to leave the room if they need to. Whether they just feel uncomfortable or get triggered that they can leave the room and make sure to value everyone for showing up and also staying aware of. My tone of voice. Then thinking more about the, trauma informed care and thinking about trust as part of it. Yeah. And to me that means like giving clear directions, helping survivors understand why they're doing things. Not just telling them to do things, but explaining why. And following through if you say you're gonna do something. Or speaking, this is a big one, speaking up to intervene when other group members get disruptive so that they know there's someone there to protect them. Also regarding trust learning how to trust the art making process and some, what I'm talking about is specifically art therapy, but so learning how to trust the art making process and that the final product is not what matters. And like giving hope to instill a message that. It doesn't matter what it looks like or it doesn't matter what you look like. So after the art making portion, we always have a discussion surrounding the process and what came up for them. They're never forced to share. And if they're not, even if they're not ready to engage in the art making, they can still come in the room as long as they're not destructive and just sit in there. Then I encourage, during the discussion, I'm encouraging supportive pe feedback from peers and so they can relate with others lived experiences. Yeah. And let's see, then also a few more things related to trauma informed care. Not the treatment is collaborative. So the way I look at it is I generally come in with more than one project in mind because I do not know who's gonna be there, what the root of the group's gonna be. And so I usually give an art directive as a place to start with the art and then always make sure they know that if their creativity is taken'em elsewhere, that they are free to trust their intuition. I encourage empowerment agency by offering choice pace, pacing control, whether they wanna participate, which materials they want to use, what to create, what not to create, what to share, what to keep private. And these choices may seem small, but to someone who was dripped of all control, they are huge and they help a lot. So yeah, that's that. The, let's see, the discussion. After the discussion, I also get feedback from them what benefited them that day, that, that way I can see if there's things I need to adjust in the group in the future to make sure they are getting out of it what they need. I think the last part of Trauma informed care to me is just being aware that every person comes from a different background and that no two clients are the same and that everyone has their unique healing journey. Yes. That's wonderful. Thank you so much for providing all that information'cause that is, is so important. Can you provide our audience the benefits? Of group counseling and art therapy.'Cause a lot of people are not familiar with especially like art therapy, but just if you could just share a few of the benefits of providing group counseling and art therapy to victims and survivors of human trafficking. Okay. So I'll just start by saying that almost every single adult that comes to our therapy, unless they're already very artistic, says. I can't draw or I'm not an artist. So art therapy is not about the art, it's about the process of the art making. So I let people know it doesn't matter what the art looks like, and usually within five minutes most people are engaged, even if they come in terrified. Yeah. So in the beginning stages of treatment, art making is geared toward calming the nervous system. So things such as like repetitive motions of like even coloring or. Weaving, like those repetitive motions help regulate the nervous system. Other parts of the the early treatment stages would be like restoring that sense of agency, giving them choice over materials, what to create. And sometimes at this point, like things like collages can be helpful. It gives'em a lot of control. Also, things that are geared toward a sense of accomplishment. Some of the projects at this point, maybe. Making sure things are accessible to every level. One example is that I have to do it's called the scribble, drawing. You start by doing a big scribble on your paper and then you start to look for shapes or images that came up and that scribble and you start coloring'em in or adding other things to it. But that's is usually a pretty good one to start with. Yes. Let's see. Another benefit is creating safety and empowerment. One of the interventions that I'm thinking of is you start with the circle and put yourself in the middle and then make circle surrounding it, and each outward layer, just thinking of who you would allow to come in that close to you. Yes. That's awesome. And then a sense of accomplishment, just and again, making some of the interventions geared towards success like paint trippings, which I know that was one you really liked when. You use paints and you just let'em blend together and see what comes up. Yeah. Also affirmations and incorporating those into art. Let's see. Some more benefits. Just the emotional release and just using shapes, lines, and colors to fill the space. Trying to fill up the space no matter what it is. Yeah. It can help can help understand our person, our personal patterns that may be hindering us, such as let's see. So when we're exploring the actual process of the art making uhhuh, I'm may see something like, you seemed really frustrated and you said you didn't know how to do this. So where else in your life does that show up that you feel frustrated and you don't know how to do something when you don't know how to do something? And then we start talking about that. And that's like using art as the doorway to, healing not just the focus. Yes. And this, it is pretty amazing. I know when I see the art therapy, I'm always amazed at all the activities and how you can just see how the person starts off the session and when they're done and they come out and they're, that our project has really helped them so much. That you wouldn't even think. And I used to think that too. Oh, I can't. What if you can't draw? So it's important that people understand. So thank you for explaining that. And we have definitely seen at our center the impact of the group counseling and the art therapy is amazing. And then my last thing, is there anything else you'd like to share about working with the victims and survivors? I have a lot I could share, but I would say helping to create the an identity since trafficking has eroded the sense of identity. Yeah. And they may be viewing themselves as what? What was done to them or what was forced upon them. Yes. And so the focus of healing is who am I beyond the survival and what parts of me were not destroyed And I guess fulfilling. I say you, you are more than what happened to you. Your voice matters. Even if you have no words and you have the ability to create. And move beyond. And also just to thank you for the great work you do and the opportunities you have given me to work at the center. And yes, how much I've gained from it. And just honored that you asked me to speak with you. Oh, absolutely. And we are very honored that you are our therapist and our counselor. Because it's been amazing to see how both group counseling and our therapy have been so beneficial. To all of the individuals we serve as well as even providing some community like our community, our corner where we include an outreach where people get a change express. So that's another thing that we kinda tested and it's been pretty amazing to be able to have that even outside when it's cold. How. The, just participating in any kinda art is very healing to people, so yes. I think that is, is wonderful thing. I wanted to add that in. I thank you, Christine for joining us for this episode of Project Red Court Chronicles. Thank you.