Take one minute and consider what first comes to mind when you hear the word “trauma.” Pain? Hardship? Bad memories? The past? Traumatic events occur when we experience something so terrible that our body’s ability to cope is completely overwhelmed. Pair this definition with the knowledge that trauma commonly stays with us by means of flashbacks, illness, headaches, depression, anxiety and more, it makes sense that we associate trauma with pain and hardship.

Throughout this series, we have established that all humans experience trauma. If our recollections of trauma are only thought of as the pain from past experiences, we are missing the hope that is available to all of us. Post Traumatic Growth (PTG) is a theory, first developed in the 1990s (American Psychological Association). Research on PTG has been the catalyst for people to begin their personal journeys of processing trauma. PTG is defined as transformation following trauma which leads a person to positive growth. PTG reminds us that the negative effects of trauma don’t have the final say.

PTG is associated with specific characteristics including hope, meaning and purpose, spiritual engagement, positive outlook and ownership of life. Signs that an individual is presenting post traumatic growth include higher appreciation of life, higher quality of relationships with others and openness to life’s possibilities.

If a traumatic event is point A on the road map and the evidence of PTG is point B, then there must be a roadway to connect these two points.

There is no perfect roadway for growth after trauma, but getting on the road is the most important part.

In order to grow in light of our traumatic experiences, hard work must be accomplished. Processing trauma in one’s life can happen in a variety of formats; one on one counseling, cognitive behavioral therapy, support group therapy, psychoanalysis, art therapy, animal therapy. The previous list is by no means all encompassing and a certain form of therapy might be more impactful for one specific person. Nonetheless, these types of therapies can be a catalyst for growth after trauma.

Ministries also give another opportunity trauma processing. Found & Woven specializes in a trauma-informed approach to care for women and men who find themselves isolated after an abortion experience. Journey to Heal is a ministry providing unique care for women who have experienced sexual trauma. Grief Share is a worldwide ministry helping people process the grief they have experienced in a variety of ways. These ministries and more give participants unique spaces to work through traumatic events or long term experiences of trauma. Additionally, ministries have a spiritual approach woven into their respective models of care.

No matter the form of processing a person chooses, that individual must push through emotional challenges, give significant effort to their times of processing and confront the roots of their traumatic experiences. This part of working through trauma, builds an immense amount of strength and resiliency in the individual, while simultaneously revealing strength that they have long possessed. There is no perfect road map for facing the trauma in our lives but any efforts to process our trauma get us on the road of moving forward. Experiencing trauma will never be something to celebrate, but hope gained on the other side of a traumatic event is where we see God at work.