We envision a world where organizations and people recognize the prevalence of trauma and its far-reaching effects and act compassionately to expand pathways to healing, and where people who have experienced trauma feel empowered to share their pain, define and pursue their recovery, and seek renewal and growth.

Trauma

n.

any disturbing experience that results in significant fear, helplessness, dissociation, confusion, or other disruptive feelings intense enough to have a long-lasting negative effect on a person’s attitudes, behavior, and other aspects of functioning. Traumatic events include those caused by human behavior (e.g., rape, war, industrial accidents) as well as by nature (e.g., earthquakes) and often challenge an individual’s view of the world as a just, safe, and predictable place.

Source: American Psychological Association Dictionary of Psychology

Sources: Trauma & Its Aftermath from BU School of Health ✦ National Center for PTSD ✦ Understanding Child Trauma