It’s not easy being there for someone you love who has experienced some sort of trauma in their past. But there are things you can do to help. This blog is for all partners, mothers, fathers, siblings, and friends who are there to help their loved one heal from a traumatic past. There’s a lot you can do to support your loved one as they heal from their traumatic past.

In this blog, we will share tips on how to support someone who has gone through trauma.

Be a Good Listener

You have to make sure that people know you are available to listen when they encounter trauma. It’s not always necessary to listen to someone and assume you know everything about them or can offer them advice. It can help to just be present and listen. Even without particular details, hearing about tragedy can be extremely difficult. The things they tell you may cause you to feel irate or enraged. But imagine the feelings they must have. They experienced what you are hearing. Therefore, as you listen to them, exercise patience.

Manage Your Expectations

You may have your own opinions about what constitutes trauma, how one should respond to trauma, and how long one should recover from trauma. However, no two people experience trauma the same way, and there is no ideal length of time or method for processing it.

Try Not to Judge

It can be hard to understand why someone can’t seem to “move on” from trauma, especially if you haven’t gone through it yourself. It’s natural to want things to get better quickly, but it’s important not to blame them or pressure them to get better without the time and support they need.

Don’t judge if they don’t react to trauma as strongly as you would expect. Everyone reacts differently, and some may not be as affected by it. Don’t assume someone needs professional help or certain types of support, and don’t judge their reaction as not feeling the trauma’s impact.

Offer Practical Support

Someone might need practical help after a traumatic event. Trauma can make it hard to think clearly and stay organized. Doing things like cooking or cleaning can help a lot.

But make sure the person you’re helping still has control and a say in what happens. Try not to take over. If you’re worried about someone, it’s natural to want to fix things or feel frustrated if they disagree about what to do. But traumatic experiences often involve feeling powerless. Pressuring them or telling them what to do can make them feel even more powerless. Instead, encourage and support them to make their own choices.

Healing from Trauma

There are many ways to heal from past trauma, but it depends on the person who experienced it. If they are willing to overcome their past and not let it control their life, they have what it takes to heal.

Read Nancy Pusateri’s book, “Rising Up: A True Story of Childhood Abuse.” It explores questions around abusive behaviour like what drives it, and how does one come to terms with such actions? Nancy draws from her own painful experiences of childhood abuse by her father and bravely shares her story. This book is for survivors and those who haven’t faced such darkness. It’s a reminder that everyone, regardless of past trauma, deserves love and support. The book is available on Amazon.