Part 1 of the Peace on Earth, Peace Within Series
We all belong to communities. Communities are not just the neighborhoods we live in. Communities can be families, cultural groups, places of worship, people with shared interests, countries… even humankind is a community.
I was having a conversation with a client last week about how communities process trauma. We talked about how traumatic situations are not only processed by the direct victims differently, but how this also expands to those who are distantly affected—or even those who are not directly affected at all.
Likewise, we feel satisfied when our loved ones succeed or are victorious in some sort of way. This extends not only to our inner circles, but to widespread communities as well. You can be in a good place but also be hurting for others. This empathy makes us real.
Maybe if we can be hurting for others, maybe we could also be helping others to help us, too. Whether that is in the form of being present for your inner circle in ways that you can, being supportive of others, or advocating for those we feel empathy for, maybe a part of healing is helping others in the ways we wish we had received.
Maybe community healing is utilizing the resources you have to help others who don’t have those resources. It doesn’t have to mean monetary donations or volunteering. Sometimes it means supporting and being present. Sometimes it means being a voice for those who are struggling to find theirs. Things like calls for action to legislators, especially during times like the recent budget impasses, are important actions that we can take to ensure survivors continue to receive specialized services from organizations like SARCC. Some organizations, such as WOAR in Philadelphia, had to limit services due to budget concerns. We must stand up to protect survivors in our communities and in all communities.
We can’t wave a magic wand and solve any of the issues that we face, including sexual violence. But we can be a voice for those who have been silenced because those who have been silenced are the same voices that will become the loudest—by being amplified with the echoes of every person who displayed compassion and empathy.
That is how we heal. That is how healing becomes a community action.
This Counselor Blog was written by Alicia Rathosky, SA Counseling & Advocacy Coordinator
